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KDB Darulehsan

KDB Darulehsan (07) participating in the International Fleet Review 2022
History
Brunei Darussalam
Name
NamesakeDarulehsan
Operator Royal Brunei Navy
BuilderLürssen Werft
Acquired5 May 2011; 13 years ago (2011-05-05)
Commissioned7 May 2011; 13 years ago (2011-05-07)
HomeportMuara Naval Base[1]
Identification
Statusactive
General characteristics
Class and typeDarussalam-class offshore patrol vessel
Displacement1,625 tonnes (1,791 tons)
Length80 metres (262 ftin)[1]
Beam13 metres (42 ft 8 in)[1]
Installed powerMTU 12V diesel engines, 8,500 kilowatts (11,400 shp)
Speed22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) maximum
Range7,500 nmi (13,900 km; 8,600 mi)
Endurance21 days
Boats & landing
craft carried
  • 2x Boomeranger boats
  • 1x Boomeranger patrol craft (1x 7.62mm gun)
Complement55+[2]
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Search radar: Terma Scanter 4100
  • Fire control radars: Thales Sting EO Mk2
  • Navigation radar: 2× Furuno navigation radar
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • ESM: EDO ITT 3601
  • Decoy: Terma DL-6T Decoy Launching system
Armament
Aircraft carried1× helicopter
Aviation facilitieshelicopter landing platform
Notesno helicopters are permanently embarked
KDB Darulehsan docked at Muara Naval Base, Brunei on 3 November 2016.

KDB Darulehsan (07) is the second ship of the Darussalam class offshore patrol vessels in the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. The vessel is in active service in the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) (Malay: Tentera Laut Diraja Brunei, TLDB).

Offshore patrol vessel programme

Brunei Darussalam ordered the Darussalam class from Lürssen Werft in Germany, the same company that Brunei Darussalam contracted to sell the contract-disputed Nakhoda Ragam-class corvettes. The first two Darussalam-class vessels were launched in November 2010 before being delivered to the Royal Brunei Navy at Muara Naval Base in January 2011, and jointly commissioned by the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, on 7 May 2011; 13 years ago (2011-05-07).[1] The second batch of two ships were delivered by 2014.

Construction and career

KDB Darulehsan was built by Lürssen Werft in Germany around 2009 to 2010. She is part of the first batch of two delivered from Germany to Brunei Darussalam. Darulehsan and Darussalam were commissioned together on 4 May 2011 at Muara Naval Base. All four of her sister ships work in the offshore patrol vessel role. KDB Darulehsan is named for the state of Selangor (known as Darul Ehsan, or 'Abode of Sincerity').

Exercise Pelican 2011

Singapore and Brunei concluded their flagship bilateral naval exercise, Exercise Pelican, from 10 to 13 July 2011, which consists of KDB Darulehsan, KDB Syafaat, KDB Itjihad, and RSS Stalwart.[3]

WPNS 2014

On 14 April 2014, KDB Darulehsan set sail to Qingdao, China, for 'Western Pacific Naval Symposium 2014' (WPNS 2014). It is the first time the Royal Brunei Navy visited China and participated in one of its naval exercises. KDB Darulehsan returned to port on 5 May 2014.[2]

Goodwill visit to Vietnam, 2014

On 30 April 2014, KDB Darulehsan arrived at Haiphong, Vietnam, for a goodwill visit and to enhance diplomatic ties between the two countries.[4]

Exercise Hornbill 24/2014

KDB Darulehsan (commanded by Lt Col (L) Willie Padan), KDB Ijtihad, KD Selangor, and KD Ganas attended Exercise Hornbill 24/2014 in Brunei from 18 to 24 November 2014, hosted by both the Royal Brunei Navy and the Royal Malaysian Navy.[5]

LIMA'15

KDB Darulehsan was sent on a maritime exercise in Langkawi, Malaysia for 'Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition 2015' (LIMA'15), which lasted from 17–21 March 2015. She returned to Muara Naval Base on 26 March 2015.[6]

Exercise Pelican 2015

Singapore and Brunei concluded their flagship bilateral naval exercise on 27 November 2015. Exercise Pelican ran from 23 to 27 November 2015, hosted by the Republic of Singapore Navy. The exercise featured RSS Valiant, RSS Stalwart, KDB Darussalam, and KDB Darulehsan.[7]

Exercise Pelican 2019

The Republic of Singapore Navy and Royal Brunei Navy held an exercise which consisted of RSS Tenacious, RSS Valour, RSS Vigour, KDB Darussalam, KDB Darulehsan, and KDB Darulaman. All Republic of Singapore Navy ships left on 7 November 2019.[8]

Exercise RIMPAC 2020

KDB Darulehsan joined HMAS Stuart, HMAS Sirius, USS Rafael Peralta, and RSS Supreme on their way to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in preparation for RIMPAC 2020 on 6 August.[9]

AIME 2023

KDB Darulehsan, captained by Commander Saiful Hazril bin Ali with a ships' complement of 67 crew, took part in the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME) 2023 in the South China Sea, a fourteen-day deployment starting on 27 April 2023.[10]

ASEX-01 N 2023

KDB Darulehsan took part in the inaugural multilateral naval exercise of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), attended by vessels from Indonesia, Brunei (KDB Darulehsan), Malaysia (KD Terengganu), and Singapore (RSS Vigour). 'ASEAN Solidarity Exercise in Natuna (ASEX-01 N) 2023' was hosted by the Indonesian Navy, and started with a harbour phase at Batam on 18 September 2023, and was conducted at various locations across the Riau Archipelago. 20 to 23 September was its sea phase in the southern extremes of the South China Sea.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Azaraimy HH (14 May 2011). "Navy powers on". Sultanate.com. Sultanate. Borneo Bulletin. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Brunei naval ship departs for Qingdao to join drills". China.org.cn. 14 April 2014. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Singapore and Bruneian navies conduct bilateral exercise". Mynewsdesk.com (Press release). 14 July 2011. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Bruneian naval ship lands in Hai Phong, starts visit to Vietnam". b1.TuoiTreNews.vn (in Vietnamese). Tuoi Tre News. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2020.[dead link]
  5. ^ Abdul Azim Kassim (18 November 2014). "2 Malaysian ships in Brunei for naval drills". AsiaOne.com. AsiaOne Online Pte Ltd. The Brunei Times / Asia News Network. Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  6. ^ "KDB Darulehsan sails to participate in multilateral maritime exercise". MinDef.gov.bn. Ministry of Defence Brunei Darussalam. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  7. ^ Parameswaran, Prashanth (30 November 2015). "Singapore, Brunei conclude naval exercise – Exercise Pelican ran from November 23 to November 27". TheDiplomat.com. Diplomat Media Inc. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  8. ^ "Brunei Darussalam's second Minister of Defence and Singapore's Minister for Defence observe Exercise Pelican 2019". Navy.MinDef.gov.bn. Bolkiah Garrison: Royal Brunei Navy. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  9. ^ Milne, Sandy (6 August 2020). "RAN commences exercises with warships from Singapore, Brunei". DefenceConnect.com.au. Momentum Media. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Royal Brunei Navy participates in the inaugural ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise 2023 (AIME)". Navy.MinDef.gov.bn. South China Sea: Royal Brunei Navy. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  11. ^ Ridzwan Rahmat (20 September 2023). "ASEAN navies omit live-firing activities at inaugural joint exercise". Janes.com. Retrieved 21 May 2024.