After piloting his own aircraft to Delhi, Sultan Hazi Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam landed in Bangalore on Friday for an eventful visit to the Parachute Regiment Training Centre here.
The Sultan was briefed by the Officiating Commandant of PRTC Col SS Sangwan, 'Sena Medal Bar'. Thereafter he was given a glimpse of the training activities conducted at the Centre including a live demonstration of "Slithering' and 'STIE' Operations and Paramotor flying display which are the hallmark of the Centre’s Special Forces.
Slithering operations are used for dropping down of small teams of Special Forces behind the enemy lines close to the target from a helicopter with the help of a rope. STIE operation stands for Small Team Insertion and Extraction conducted mainly for special operations in areas where feasibility of touch down of helicopters is low.
During the nearly two hour visit of the Centre, the Sultan was also shown the state-of-the-art indoor precision shooting range and thereafter given a small demonstration of clearing of a hut (Dhok) in a village in a Counter Insurgency Area.
The Sultan showed keen interest in the training activities and also interacted with the officers of the Centre.
The Parachute Regiment Training Centre is one of the premier institutions of the Indian Army. It conducts recruit training and selection cum basic skills training for the personnel joining the Parachute Regiment which is considered the 'Elite' regiment of the Indian Army.
The regiment comprises the Parachute and Parachute Special Forces battalions and these battalions have proved their mettle and earned numerous glories in the conventional wars as well as the ongoing counter terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir and in the North East.
The Brunei Sultan is one of the world’s richest men but still believes in do-it-yourself.
He not only pilots the fortunes of his country but also his own aircraft. When the sultan arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday evening from Brunei capital Bandar Seri Begawan on a four-day visit, he came flying in his own Boeing 747.
Owns 5,000 cars!
The Sultan is also one of the world’s longest-serving monarchs since 1967, and reportedly owns about 5,000 cars, including 50 Rolls-Royces and the only right-handed Mercedes CLK-GTR in the world. His palace reportedly has 1,788 rooms.
