Republic of Fiji Navy

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Republic of Fiji Navy
RFNS Kikau, south of Fiji - 181017-N-VG727-2016.jpg
RFNS Kikau (202)
CountryFlag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
Part of Republic of Fiji Military Forces
Commanders
Chief officer of the Fijian Navy Humphrey Tawake
Insignia
Naval Ensign of Fiji Naval Ensign of Fiji.svg

The Republic of Fiji Navy or Fijian Navy is the naval branch of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. The Fijian Navy was established after Fiji ratified the recently created 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. [1] The Convention established that maritime nations had an Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 kilometres, which extended Fiji's waters twentyfold, from 50,000 square miles (130,000 km2) to over 1,000,000 square miles (2,600,000 km2), necessitating a more substantial naval force to enforce Fijian jurisdiction and protect economic activity in the Fijian EEZ.

Fiji was provided three Pacific Forum patrol vessels, designed and built by Australia, so its Pacific Forum neighbours could police their own sovereignty.

Captain Humphrey Tawake is the current Chief officer of the Fijian Navy. [2] [3]

Fleet

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RFNS <i>Kula</i>

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RFNS <i>Kiro</i> (203)

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RFNS <i>Kikau</i>

RFNS Kikau (202) is a Pacific-class patrol boat operated by Fiji. She was designed and built by Australia. Australia agreed to provide twenty-two patrol boats to twelve of its neighbours and fellow members of the Pacific Forum, after the recently concluded United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extended maritime nations' exclusive economic zone to 200 kilometres (110 nmi). Australia provided two other patrol vessels to Fiji, Kula and Kiro. Australia also provided training and infrastructure.

HMPNGS <i>Rabaul</i> Papua New Guinea Defence Force vessel

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HMTSS <i>Te Mataili II</i>

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PSS <i>Remeliik II</i> Patrol boat

PSS Remeliik II is a Guardian-class patrol boat in the service of Palau's Division of Maritime Law Enforcement, built, and provided by Australia to replace the Pacific Forum patrol boat PSS Remeliik. In the late 1980s and early 1990s Australia helped its smaller neighbours, in the Pacific Forum by building small patrol boats so they could protect their own sovereignty. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), had extended an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) 200 kilometres (120 mi) off the shores of all maritime nations, and for small Island nations in the Pacific protecting their EEZ would be an overwhelming problem.

The RFNS Volasiga is an oceanic survey vessel operated by the Republic of Fiji Navy. She was donated by the Republic of Korea in 2019. She has a crew of 15.

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RFNS <i>Savenaca</i>

RFNS Savenaca (401) is a Guardian-class patrol boat, being built in Australia for Fiji's Navy. She will replace RFNS Kula, a Pacific Forum patrol vessel provided by Australia in 1994. She will be the seventh vessel of the class to be completed, and the second of two to be delivered to Fiji. She will be commissioned in March or April of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humphrey Tawake</span>

Humphrey Tawake is a senior officer in the Republic of Fiji Naval Service.

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Samoan patrol vessel <i>Nafanua III</i> Patrol boat of the Samoan Police Service

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RFNS <i>Puamau</i>

RFNS Puamau (402) is a Guardian-class patrol boat donated to Fiji by Australia as part of the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project. The vessel entered service on 7 March 2024. The ship is used to patrol Fijian waters.

References

  1. 1 2 "New Guardian-class Patrol Boat - RFNS Savenaca to boost patrol on Fiji's EEZ". Government of Fiji . 2020-03-07. Retrieved 2020-03-08. "It was following Fiji's ratification of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that the Fijian Navy was first formed and shortly thereafter, the Australian-Pacific Patrol Boat Program came to be. The program has been a pillar of regional security, showing that secure Fijian waters mean secure waters for every nation in our patch of the Pacific.
  2. ↑ "Divers present recompression capability to Fiji's Chief of Navy". Australian Navy . 2019-09-10. Retrieved 2020-03-07. A Fijian Navy contingent led by the Chief of the Fijian Navy, Captain Humphrey Tawake, was recently given a familiarisation tour of the Royal Australian Navy's Diver Recompression chambers.
  3. ↑ Lisa Simcock (2020-03-06). "Austal (ASX:ASB) delivers 6th guardian-class patrol boat to Fiji Navy". The Market Herald . Retrieved 2020-03-07. 'Our warmest congratulations go to Prime Minister Bainimarama, the Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, Rear Admiral Viliame Naupoto and the Chief of Navy Captain Humphrey Tawake on the handover of this impressive new ship, the RFNS Savenaca,' he added.
  4. ↑ Felix Lesinaivalu (2019-07-03). "Economic development 'important for security'". Government of Fiji . p. 12. Retrieved 2019-10-26. He said the provision of RFNS Savenaca and RFNS Volasiga would enhance the Naval Division capabilities when it comes to Fiji's vast EEZ. "The allocation of $1.1 million for the recruitment of 40 personnel to operate the two vessels is, therefore, timely."
  5. ↑ Shirika Shalini (2019-02-06). "Fijian Navy Unveils Name of New Hydrographic Survey Vessel". Fiji Sun . Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  6. ↑ Maggie Boyle (2019-12-07). "EEZ surveillance capabilities boosted: Commander Natuva". Fiji Broadcasting Corporation . Archived from the original on 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2019-12-06. Only two years ago, the Fiji Navy had to rely on other foreign vessels to assist them with border surveillance with only one ship in operation. Fast forward two years and there are six vessels in operation.
  7. ↑ "Supplement to the 2019-2020 budget estimates" (PDF). Republic of Fiji Ministry of Economy. 2019-06-07. p. 118. Retrieved 2019-10-26. A budget of $2.4 million is provided for the Unit for the operational expenses in 2019-2020 financial year. This included new funding of $363,102 for the recruitment of 15 personnel for manning of RFNS Volasiga; which is donated by the Republic of Korea (ROK) under the Fiji Hydrographic Office (FHO) and Korean Hydrographic Oceanography Agency (KHOA) bilateral partnership.
  8. ↑ Li Jiayao (2019-03-21). "Fijian Defense Minister Seruiratu Praises Fiji-China Navy Ties". Fiji Sun . Archived from the original on 2019-11-02. 'RFNS Kacau is the first of its kind that will grace our seas because of its range of operational capability, which is not limited to hydrographic survey but maritime surveillance, HADR, diving, Search and Rescue,' he said.
  9. ↑ Ankit Panda (2018-07-18). "China to Gift Hydrographic and Surveillance Vessel to Fiji: The transfer marks growing ties between Beijing and Suva". The Diplomat . Archived from the original on 2018-09-17. Last week, the Fiji Navy announced that it would receive a new surveillance and hydrographic vessel from China. Named RFNS Kacau, the vessel will join the Fijian Navy's main fleet later this year.
  10. ↑ Timoci Qaranivalu (2018-12-22). "New navy vessel RFNS Kacau commissioned yesterday". Fiji Village . Archived from the original on 2018-12-24. Retrieved 2019-11-02. The RFNS Kacau is a Hydrographic Vessel that will help the Fiji Navy in the measurement and description of the physical features of the coastal areas.
  11. ↑ "New vessel enhances Fijian navy's capabilities". Pacific News Service . 2018-10-07. Retrieved 2019-11-02. He said the project was initiated by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) and the People's Republic of China's People's Liberation Army-Navy, 'who saw fit to donate a vessel of such a magnitude because of the role we have in Fiji not only that, but also maritime security in the region'.
  12. ↑ "Review Report of the Ministry of Defence, National Security and Immigration Bi-Annual Report January – July 2016" (PDF). Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence . July 2016. pp. 13, 27, 29. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-11-02. RFMF and Fiji Navy through China Aid have received RFN Kacau a hydrographic vessel with a deck that is re-configured like a catamaran, doubles as a heavy lift vessel.
  13. ↑ "China commissions RFNS Kacau to Fiji Navy". Citizen Journalism Fiji . 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2019-11-02. This comes after China's commitment in the Pacific for additional capability building, protection of Fiji's resources and security. Royal Fiji Navy thanked the People's Republic Of China for the assistance.
  14. ↑ "中国造新型双体水文船抵达斐济，将加入斐济海军" [China twin body hydrological ship arrives in Fiji and will join Fiji Navy]. 环球时报热点 (in Chinese). 2018-10-08. Archived from the original on 2018-10-08. Retrieved 2019-11-02. 解放军海军与斐济海军间的培训合作持续大约四个月，RFNS Kacau号正式的移交日期将定在今年圣诞节前完成。斐济总理姆拜尼马拉马在苏瓦瓦鲁湾的斯坦利布朗海军基地参加了接舰仪式并感谢船员们的努力和付出。
  15. ↑ Shininka Shalini (2019-12-26). "Kacau to enhance service delivery". Fiji Sun . Archived from the original on 2019-03-20. Retrieved 2019-11-02. The ship can cater for twenty-nine crew.
  16. ↑ "Austal Australia delivers 19th Guardian-Class patrol boat" (Press release). Austal. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
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