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Opinion（https://thescoop.co/category/voices/opinion/）

Silent anchor: Strengthening the Brunei-US security partnership through shared commitments

David Santoro（https://thescoop.co/author/david-santoro/）

September 18, 2026

Col. Muhammad Suwardi Ariffin (L), chief of staff of RBAF's Joint Force Headquarters, and US Coast Guard Capt. Michael Ross (R), commodore of Expeditionary Cutter Squadron, render salutes during the opening ceremony for the CARAT exercise, Sep. 14, 2026. CARAT is a bilateral exercise designed to enhance US and partner navies’ abilities to operate together in response to shared maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. Photo: US Navy

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Sitting along the southern rim of the South China Sea, Brunei Darussalam occupies a vital position in Southeast Asia. While global commentary often centers on high-friction flashpoints, Brunei stands out as a stable maritime country committed to peace and international law.

This commitment to regional stability has long served as the foundation for the Brunei-US defense relationship. Bilateral ties date back to the 1850 Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation, later formalised for modern defence cooperation through a 1994 Memorandum of Understanding.

For decades, operational familiarity has grown through annual joint exercises like Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training and Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (CARAT), alongside military education exchanges.

Yet today’s strategic landscape presents fresh challenges that require both countries to do more. Transnational risks—including illegal fishing, maritime smuggling, cyber threats, and natural disasters — as well as geopolitical tensions demand a more dynamic partnership. Bandar Seri Begawan and Washington should strengthen their partnership by focusing on four key areas.

First, both capitals should formalise the strategic partnership framework. Washington should commit to sustained engagements to upgrade the framework so that attention to Bandar Seri Begawan remains steady.

Concurrently, Brunei can streamline bilateral operational procedures by working with US counterparts to update logistical agreements, such as the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement. Doing so will facilitate smoother joint exercises, port calls, and emergency response operations, providing a seamless baseline for cooperation.

Second, Bandar Seri Begawan and Washington should work together to modernise maritime capabilities and operational readiness. Washington should transfer more advanced technologies to help safeguard Brunei’s exclusive economic zone, including modern radar systems, satellite imagery platforms, and maritime domain software, while establishing faster pipelines for real-time information sharing through the US Pacific Command.

For its part, Bandar Seri Begawan should continue modernising the Royal Brunei Armed Forces maritime fleet to integrate these incoming technologies. By defining specific procurement priorities and articulating targeted operational needs, Brunei can make sure US technical assistance aligns with its national defence objectives and supports economic resilience under Wawasan Brunei 2035, the country’s long-term national development plan. Such operational push is backed by Bandar Seri Begawan’s fiscal commitment, highlighted by a 32% surge in Brunei’s defence budget to B$796.3 million in 2024（https://thescoop.co/2024/03/02/defence-spending-to-reach-record-high-of-796-3-million/）.

Modernising maritime domain awareness should prioritise safeguarding Brunei’s critical offshore energy infrastructure, commercial gateways like Muara Port, and subsea pipelines against physical sabotage, hybrid pressures, and environmental hazards.

In an increasingly digital maritime environment, security cooperation should also extend to critical communications. Joint initiatives should incorporate cybersecurity defences for maritime port logistics and the physical protection of undersea telecommunication cables that land in Brunei, safeguarding the conduits of regional commerce. Securing these commercial nodes is essential, as the United States is a key economic partner, driving foreign direct investment into Brunei’s downstream energy sector and supporting the country’s shift away from crude oil dependency.

Crucially, to make such cooperation meaningful, Washington should address internal regulatory friction by streamlining bureaucratic export controls so that defence equipment and spare parts reach the Royal Brunei Armed Forces without delays.