Brunei Military - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Military and security forces

Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Royal Brunei Land Force, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (2020)

Military expenditures

3.3% of GDP (2019)

2.6% of GDP (2018)

2.9% of GDP (2017)

3.5% of GDP (2016)

3.3% of GDP (2015)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Royal Brunei Armed Forces is comprised of approximately 6,500 total active troops (4,500 Army; 1,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force) (2020)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Royal Brunei Armed Forces imports nearly all of its military equipment and weapons systems; the top supplier since 2010 is Germany (2020)

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve; recruits from the army, navy, and air force all undergo 43-week initial training (2019)

Military - note

Brunei has a long-standing defense relationship with the United Kingdom and hosts a British Army garrison, which includes the Gurkha Battalion and a jungle warfare school; Brunei also hosts a Singaporean military training base (2020)

NOTE: The information regarding Brunei on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Brunei 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Brunei 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.