A friendship beyond both uniforms and borders

Earlier today, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) commemorated their 50th anniversary of defence relations with a Joint Operational Parade at Muara Naval Base, Brunei Darussalam.

This marks a key milestone in a year-long series of Golden Jubilee activities, which include bilateral exercises across three Services as well as new areas of cooperation.

But the close relationship between the two armed forces goes beyond military exercises and professional exchanges. Over the years, many SAF and RBAF personnel have also forged strong personal bonds.

Among them are Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Robin Chia, Commanding Officer (CO) of 18th Divisional Air Defence Battalion (18 DA Bn) from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and Lieutenant Colonel Udara (Lt Col U) Muhd Adif Bin Haju Zaman, CO of No. 2 Wing from the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF).

Their friendship may have started out in the field, but some of their fondest memories were made away from training grounds – bonding over local food like satay and mee soto, and chatting late into the night over teh tarik!

Where and when did the two of you first meet? What were your first impressions of each other?

LTC Chia: We’ve known each other for close to three years, since the 28th Exercise Airguard in 2024.

Adif is very easy to talk to. (Our interaction) was very comfortable, with no tension or judgement, and that has continued until today.

Lt Col (U) Adif: When we first met in 2024, I had just taken over as CO of No. 2 Wing. Around the same period, Robin took over as the new CO of 18 DA Bn, so in a way, we started our respective command journeys at the same time.

My first impression of him was that he was a quiet and reserved person, but (still) very approachable. He may not have said much initially, but he gave me the impression of someone who was calm, professional, and easy to work with.

Over time, our professional relationship has also become a friendship. I think that reflects the wider relationship between our two air forces – built on trust, familiarity, and mutual respect, which is strengthened every time we train and work together.

How would you describe the other, as a commander and a friend?

LTC Chia: Down-to-earth, humble, and a personable commander. He’s a true buddy – someone whom I can spend time with to recharge my social battery.

Lt Col (U) Adif: Calm, professional and forward-thinking. He may be a quiet person, but he knows what he wants to achieve, always thinks ahead and, most importantly, looks after his people.

How have you seen Exercise Airguard and the relationship between both air forces develop over the years?

LTC Chia: I have seen Exercise Airguard expand in scope over the years, to enable us to train more realistically, and prepare ourselves for challenges of today and tomorrow.

There was a time during our outfield training in Brunei where we required a sudden change of plans just a day before a key event. Upon hearing the news, my RBAirF counterparts didn’t break a sweat, and instead brought down a team to work alongside their RSAF peers to make the necessary adjustments.

The way they voluntarily came down to work through the night boosted everyone’s morale and created a more supportive environment between both forces.

We have just launched Exercise Vanguard to incorporate helicopter and UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) training, and this has created more opportunities for airmen and women of both air forces to deepen our professional competencies and learn from one another.

Lt Col (U) Adif: Since both of us are the COs, we have been working closely together throughout the three years – from the initial meetings and planning, all the way to the execution of the exercise.

Every year, Exercise Airguard has become bigger and more challenging, especially in terms of planning and the scenarios we train for.

One of the benefits of training together is adaptability. We learn to adapt, operate outside our comfort zones, and still achieve the mission together.

How has your bond turned from a working relationship to a personal friendship?

Lt Col (U) Adif: I remember one occasion at Soto Pabo in Brunei, where we ended up talking about our family, life and plans for the future. I think both of us have the same mindset – we like trying new things and finding ways to make things better.

And maybe most importantly, we both like mee soto!

LTC Chia: We also discovered that we share a common interest in golf. Hitting the golf course together made us even closer friends.

Just earlier this year, Adif and his wife visited Singapore in their personal capacities, and my family and I hosted them!

Lt Col (U) Adif, how was your visit with family to Singapore like?

Lt Col (U) Adif: Robin invited us for dinner at a cafe near his home. That was the first time I met his wife and children, and they were all very kind and welcoming.

What surprised me was how well Robin took care of us. Everything was so well-arranged that it felt like Singapore was our second home.

LTC Chia: My children were very comfortable about Adif and his wife, and we had a good time hanging out together at various eateries around Singapore. I remember vividly having late night teh tarik at Jalan Kayu!

Lt Col (U) Adif: If Robin brings his family to Brunei, then the pressure (to bring them around) is on me!

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Singapore-Brunei relations. What does this milestone mean to you?

Lt Col (U) Adif: Fifty years is a significant milestone. To me, it shows that the relationship between Brunei and Singapore is not something built overnight – it has been built through decades of trust, mutual respect, and people-to-people relationships.

My friendship with Robin is one small example of how a professional relationship between our two air forces can grow into genuine trust and friendship.

I hope our younger servicemen continue to learn from each other and build the same trust and friendship that have kept Brunei and Singapore close for the past 50 years – and carry it forward for the next 50.

LTC Chia: Our people have spent five decades working together, learning from each other, and building lasting relationships.

The golden jubilee milestone shows how far we have come and I am excited to see how much more we can achieve together.