The UK maintains a troop contingent in Brunei, and the Southeast Asian sultanate recently welcomed the arrival of a pair of Airbus H145 Jupiter HC Mk2 helicopters to support the British Forces Brunei garrison.
Their new-founded presence in Brunei was announced by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 7 April. A third H145 helicopter is due before the end of 2026.
The MoD noted that crews in Brunei will be able to build upon the experiences of those who have been operating the H145 in the UK over the past four months.
The two H145s will be operated by 667 Squadron, Army Air Corps, and will be used for tasks such as jungle training; medical evacuation; troop transport; underslung-load tasks; firefighting; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and general aviation support.
Mark Langrill, Director Rotary Wing and Uncrewed Air Systems at the National Armaments Director Group, said: “Getting these aircraft to Brunei on this timescale has taken genuine commitment from everyone involved …. We’ve demonstrated that accelerated acquisition can work, and we’ve done it in a way that delivers real capability to the frontline while supporting UK industry.”
These helicopters were delivered as part of a £148 million (US$198 million) programme to induct six H145s to serve both the Army Air Corps in Brunei and the Royal Air Force’s 84 Squadron in Cyprus. The helicopters were delivered two years after being ordered.
Furthermore, a £33.6 million (US$45 million) support and service contract for the H145 helicopters was announced with Airbus in December 2025.
According to the MoD, the H145 helps “advance the UK’s Defence Rotary Wing Strategy, which aims to rationalise helicopter types across the fleet and increase commonality – reducing complexity, improving interoperability and driving down whole-life costs”.
The H145s replace Puma HC2s that retired last year. In 2022 the Pumas themselves had temporarily supplanted a trio of civilian-owned Bell 212 AH Mk1 aircraft used by the Army Air Corps in Brunei.
British Forces Brunei represents the UK’s last remaining military base in the Asian region. It is headquartered in Seria and primarily comprises a rotating light infantry battalion of Gurkhas plus Training Team Brunei.
by Gordon Arthur
