Wednesday, December 4, 2013
AMID
the deafening roar of fighter jets, helicopters and drones soaring
through the skies, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei
Darussalam launched the fourth Brunei Darussalam Defence Exhibition
(BRIDEX) with much fanfare in Jerudong yesterday.
BRIDEX is a biennial platform for leading manufacturers, suppliers
and professionals to showcase the latest innovations and technological
developments in the defence industry.
The crisp blue skies provided the ideal backdrop for a
much-anticipated air show, featuring aircraft from Brunei, the United
States, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
His Majesty viewed the air demonstration from the glass dome of the
BRIDEX venue, applauding as a Singaporean F-15 fighter jet and the
Jupiter aerobatic team of the Indonesian Air Force lit up the sky with
gravity-defying manoeuvres.
Also starring at the show was one of Brunei’s new S-70i Black Hawk
helicopters, one of 12 new choppers expected to modernise the Royal
Brunei Air Force’s fleet.
Accompanying the monarch to the event was His Royal Highness Prince
General Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at
the Prime Minister’s Office and HRH Prince `Abdul Malik.
The Sultan then toured the two exhibition halls for over two hours,
visiting with each of the 90 exhibitors manning the booths. Thirty
countries were represented during the showcase.
Exhibition Director Hjh Rosmawati Hj Manaf expressed her satisfaction
with this year’s turnout, noting that more international delegates were
attending this year’s BRIDEX compared to previous years, including a
significant percentage of newcomers. The organisers also managed to sell
out all the floor space at the exhibition
“It’s been amazing,” said Hjh Rosmawati, thanking everyone at Royal
Brunei Technical Services and Ministry of Defence for their cooperation
and support over the past two years of preparation.
The highlight of the exhibition was the unveiling of the Sikorsky
S-70i Black Hawk, a state-of-the-art helicopter that will be used for
transport and training missions in Brunei and humanitarian efforts in
the region.
Sikorsky presented a special pesambah (gift) to His Majesty, a miniature model of the Black Hawk decorated with the colours of the US Marine Corps.
The Arms Corporation of the Philippines (ARMSCOR) also presented the monarch with a gold plated VZ 9mm hand gun.
After a break for lunch, the royal entourage moved to the Royal
Brunei Air Force Base in Rimba via chopper to view the static display of
aircraft in town for BRIDEX 2013. The Sultan inspected several military
aircraft from the US, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and
Germany, taking the time to speak with the crews and pose for pictures.
His Majesty also officially opened the new Air Movement Centre at
Rimba, a facility to monitor Brunei military aircraft missions.
The BRIDEX showcase will be open to the public on Thursday from 9am
to 5pm and on Friday from 8am to 11.30am. An air show will take place on
both days at 9am at the BRIDEX venue in Jerudong. Visitors can also go
to Rimba Air Base to view the aircraft in the afternoon from 2pm to 5pm.
