Brunei Completes Airbus C295MW Fleet

BRUNEI’S Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) has received its final two C295MW aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space, with the pair of aircraft successfully delivered to the RBAirF Rimba Air Force Base on April 20.

The arrival ceremony was graced by His Royal Highness (HRH) Lieutenant Colonel (Air) Abdul Mateen. together with acting commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Brigadier General Mohammad Sharif, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Brig Gen (R) Haji Alirupendi, RBAirF commander Brig Gen Haji Haszahaidi alongside members of the RBAF Executive Committee and senior officers.

The ceremony commenced with the traditional Water Salute upon arrival after its seven-day ferry flight from Airbus’ facility which began on April 14. The third and fourth aircraft, designated “TUDB 504” and “TUDB 505”, completes the RBAirF’s Airbus C295MW fleet, marking a significant milestone in the modernisation of the RBAirF, further enhancing its airlift capabilities in support of national and regional missions.

The first two aircraft were delivered on January 24 2024 in a ceremony graced by Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office HRH Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah. Following that, the first pair of aircraft were subsequently introduced into service on February 14 that same year.

Since entering service, the Airbus C295MW fleet has logged 518 flights across eight Southeast Asian countries. Notable deployments include Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions to the Philippines following Typhoon Trami in 2024 and to Myanmar in 2025. The aircraft also supported VIP transport missions, with operational reach extending as far as Timor-Leste.

Brunei signed a deal with Airbus in December 2022 for a total of four C295MWs to supersede the CN235-110M which has served in the RBAF in various capacities. The C295MWs take on roles including HADR, medical evacuations (MEDEVAC), non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO) and search and rescue (SAR). Furthermore, the C295MW can be configured to carry out troop and cargo transport, VIP transport, cargo drops, along with Military Freefall (MFF) and airborne static parachute jumps.