BRUNEI AIR FORCE’S FIRST QUARTET OF S-70I BLACK HAWKS

The Sultan of Brunei personally inspecting one of the four delivered S-70i Black Hawks (Image © Sikorsky)

The Royal Brunei Air Force accepted the first four of 12 Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters, after the the Sultan of the country personally took a look at the aircraft at the Brunei International Defence Exhibition (Bridex) in the first week of December.

Equipped with a suite of advanced avionics and sensors, the tactical helicopters can be tasked with search and rescue, humanitarian relief, anti-piracy, troop transport and medical evacuation.

All dozen Brunei S-70i Black Hawk are set to be delivered before the end of 2014, but the Asian sultanate is even considering to execute the option on another 10 of these choppers.

The Royal Brunei Air Force (Angkatan Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei (ATUDB)) sole military airbase is part of the only international airport of the country. The ATUDB’s 4 Squadron already flies the less capable Sikorsky S-70A.

Source: Sikorsky with additional reporting by AIRheads’ Marcel Burger