British Destroyer And Tanker In Brunei Boosting Military Ties
By Laila Rahman

Bandar Seri Begawan - Two British ships will be in Brunei for a four-day goodwill visit to promote and underline the United Kingdom's longstanding interests in the region, particularly the strong past and present military ties with the Sultanate.

HMS Exeter and RFA Grey Rover will arrive in the country on Sunday, August 1, and will be berthed at Muara Port.

The ships deployed from the United Kingdom in March have already visited India, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Korea, Vladivostok in Russia, Japan and the Philippines.

The deployment in this region is primarily in support of the Five Power Defence Agreement (FPDA) exercises held annually involving naval and air forces from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and UK.

The aim of the exercises is to demonstrate a cohesive maritime capability and practice force cohesion between the five-member states in the strategically vital South China Sea and the Malacca and Singapore Straits.

The two ships have also conducted exercises with the Egyptian, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Russian, Japanese and the Philippine navies.

As well as conducting training activities with the Royal Brunei Navy, the ships will fulfill a number of diplomatic and sporting engagements.

Members of the ships' companies will also take the opportunity to visit the principal tourist sites in the capital and to experience Brunei's unrivalled jungle.

On Thursday, Exeter and Grey Rover will carry out a series of demonstrations at sea for personnel from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.

HMS Exeter, commanded by Commander Andrew Read OBE Royal Navy, is a Type 42 destroyer, with a primary role of air defence, armed with the Sea Dart missile system. She is also equipped with a 4.5-inch gun, anti-submarine torpedoes and close range defensive weapons.

It also carries a Lynx helicopter capable of finding and attacking surface and submarine targets using Sea Scud missiles and homing torpedoes. Displacing 4,500 tonnes, she has two Rolls Royce Olympus gas turbines (the same as Concorde) for maximum speed and two Rolls Royce Tyne gas turbines for economical running. She has a ship's company of 250 men and women.

RFA Grey Rover, commanded by Captain M T Jarvis, is a Light Fleet Tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, designed to replenish ships at sea with fuel, fresh water and stores in all conditions while underway. She has a helicopter deck served by a stores lift and is capable of conducting helicopter replenishment. Displacing 11,500 tonnes, she is powered by twin diesels and has a ship's company of 56. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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