The Royal Navy’s Type 45 Destroyer, HMS DEFENDER, is in Brunei Darussalam for a goodwill visit from 25 to 27 July 2021, marking the first visit by the British Royal Navy ships to Brunei Darussalam since 2019. This morning, HMS DEFENDER received a working visit by Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister of Defence II; Commander of Royal Brunei Navy and officers and personnel from the Ministry of Defence and Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF).
Upon arrival, the delegation was received by His Excellency John Leonard Pencavel Virgoe, British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam; Group Captain Graeme Davis – (Royal Air Force), British Defence Adviser to Brunei Darussalam; and Commander Vince Owen, Commanding Officer of HMS DEFENDER. The tour began with a presentation delivered by Commander Vince Owen on HMS DEFENDER’s main features and capabilities as well as sharing of experiences on HMS DEFENDER’s journey as part of the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployment.
The HMS DEFENDER was commissioned in March 2013 and is in the region as part of the United Kingdom’s large scale CSG deployment which among others, aims to further strengthen the deep defence partnerships in the region and demonstrate the United Kingdom’s commitment to promoting peace and security in the region and the world. Brunei Darussalam and the United Kingdom share a strong and longstanding defence relations that encompasses a comprehensive range of interactions.
HMS Defender (D36) is the fifth of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyers built for the Royal Navy. She is the eighth ship to bear the name. Construction of Defender began in 2006, and she was launched in 2009. The ship completed her first sea trials in October and November 2011, and was commissioned during March 2013. The Type 45 destroyer is primarily designed for anti-aircraft and anti-missile warfare and is built around the PAAMS (Sea Viper) air-defence system utilising the SAMPSON AESA and the S1850M long-range radars.
