Wardi bin Abdul Latip is a Bruneian military officer who became the twelfth Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) from 2012 to 2015. Notably, he was also the Bruneian defence attaché to China in 2007.^[2]

Quick Facts 12th Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force, Monarch ...

Brigadier General (Retired) Dato Seri Pahlawan Wardi Abdul Latip PSPNB SMB PSB
وردي عبداللاتيڤ
Brigadier general Wardi in 2015
12th Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force
In office 7 December 2012 (2012-12-07) – 26 September 2015 (2015-09-26)
Monarch	Hassanal Bolkiah
Deputy	Hamzah Sahat[1]
Preceded by	Jofri Abdullah
Succeeded by	Shahril Anwar
Personal details
Born	Brunei
Alma mater	RAF College Cranwell Massey University Australian Defence College Harvard Kennedy School
Profession	Military officer
Military service
Allegiance	Brunei
Branch/service	Royal Brunei Air Force
Years of service	1984–2015
Rank	Brigadier General
Unit	No. 1 Squadron (Bell 212) No. 5 Squadron (CN-235)
Commands	Royal Brunei Air Force

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From 1982 to 1983, Wardi served as a pioneer in the Boys Company, before enlisting in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF),^[3] and assigned his service number 231. After successfully completing his military officer training, he was later appointed as second lieutenant in December 1984. As a student pilot at No. 3 Basic Squadron Flight Training School in the RBAirF's Training Wing from 1984 to 1986, he started his flying career. He became a co-pilot for the Bell 212 helicopter at No. 1 Squadron, after finishing his flight training. He was fully operational as a pilot flying the Bell 212 for three years with No. 1 Squadron, after obtaining combat status six months later.^[4]

In 1989, Colonel Wardi was among the tiny group chosen to get training in fighter jets at RAF Church Fenton in Yorkshire, England. Starting with the Refresher Fast Jet Course for 82 flight hours in a BAC Jet Provost Mk5, he underwent training in stages. At RAF Valley on Anglesey, North Wales, he then continued his Advanced Flying Training on the Hawk T Mk1. In addition, he was chosen to be a pilot for the Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft Programme, and was transferred to Palmerstone North, New Zealand's Massey Air University, School of Aviation, to get a 'Multi-engine Pilot Licence' in 1994. He received the Conversion Flying Training in November 1997, after finishing this training. He founded No. 5 Squadron, which was formally established on 12 December 1997, after bringing the first IPTN CN-235 aircraft to Brunei upon completion of the training.^[4]

In 2007, he was appointed to serve as the defence attaché at the Brunei embassy in Beijing, China. From 7 to 9 September 2015, alongside his delegations, he attended a three-day farewell visit to Singapore.^[5] The Royal Brunei Air Force has a new commander, with His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam's approval. Brigadier General Wardi Abdul Latip and Colonel Shahril Anwar exchanged command during a ceremony for the RBAirF. On 25 September 2015, the Royal Brunei Air Force's headquarters at Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba, hosted a ceremony to mark the handover. On the next day, the new commander was officially appointed.^[4]

2011 saw his appointment as the Ministry of Defence Brunei Darussalam's Director of Personnel.^[4] On 26 June 2013, a golf tournament between the services took place at the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Golf Club. Wardi Abdul Latip represented the RBAF Training Institute.^[6] Later that year on 30 September, the Royal Brunei Air Force received the new Air Movement Centre (AMC) in a formal handover; he came after the Director of DDWS and before the Permanent Secretary, Azmansham Mohamad.^[7] Wardi was appointed as the Director of Aviation under His Majesty at the Aviation Office on 14 October 2017, according to the Department of Public Services (JPA). This follows permission from Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.^[8][9]