Brunei and the United States Double Down on Defense
Last month, Brunei’s Minister of Defense II (The Minister of Defense position being held by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah) Pehin Halbi was received at the Pentagon by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The two cabinet-level officials broadly discussed national and regional defense cooperation, maritime and aerial codes of conduct and surveillance, and overall U.S.-Brunei defense ties. In December 2023, the two countries agreed upon an Acquisition Cross-Servicing Agreement in April and a 505 Agreement which bolster information sharing and security assistance.
On this 40th year anniversary of U.S.-Brunei diplomatic relations, their meeting came on the heels of several other related developments in the U.S.-Brunei relationship since the start of 2024. This most notably includes announcement to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic partnership in April. Diplomatic enhancement paired with military cooperation indicate a deepening and multifaceted future of U.S.-Brunei relations that will require just as much increased involvement from the U.S. private sector in defense industry development and expertise.
