BY FIJI NAVY
FOLLOWING the welcoming ceremony on February 19, 1976, the commissioning and the naming ceremony for the first two Fiji naval ships was held on February 21, 1976.
The quarter guard led by Sub Lieutenant David AG. Lane with the RFMF Band playing their tune in the background to welcome the chief guest for the occasion the late Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. In his address he stated “For an island nation like ours, a naval squadron is not a luxury, it is a necessity.” Patrol boats RFNS Lautoka and RFNS Levuka at anchor. The two patrol boats were bought from America at the cost of $1.85million.
The Prime Minister’s wife, the high chief of Rewa, Ro Lady Lalabalavu Mara, splashed the mixed kava on the bow of the two vessels to officially name them as HMFS Kiro and HMFS Kula at the Kings Wharf. Both vessels were named after two Fiji birds — Kiro and Kula. This was followed by the raising of the Fiji Flag on both vessels. The ceremony signified that the Naval Squadron of the Royal Fiji Military Forces was capable of enforcing the United Nation Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) within Fiji’s 2.6 million Km2 of the nation’s territorial waters. Ratu Mara told a crowd of more 1000 people who attended the commissioning ceremony that finding work for the squadron was not a problem.
But it is the squadron to do all the work available in terms of communications, maintenance of fishing rights, hydrographic survey and natural disaster relief. HMFS Kiro and HMFS Kula and their crews conducted an exercise off Suva Harbour on Thursday, February 26, 1976 to display their capability to the PM, the Deputy PM Ratu Penaia Ganilau and other government guests aboard both vessels. Their display included search and rescue, transfer of supplies and patients from one ship to another, capturing of illegal fishing vessels and marksmanship. The exercise portrayed that the late Ratu Mara’s vision for Fiji had materialised.
The establishment of the Fiji Navy and the training provided by the Royal New Zealand Navy, the Royal Australian Navy and the US Navy empowered the developing nation with the capability to enforce the law and order of the sea within the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Maiden voyage The Fiji Navy Ships, HMFS Kiro and HMFS Kula began their operations when they departed the Naval Base on Monday March 1, 1976.
They commenced their operations surveying a coral patch at the entrance to Rukua Village in Beqa. Upon completion of the survey both ex-minesweepers sailed to Kadavu Island on Wednesday, March 3, as part of their journey of monitoring Fiji’s EEZ.
A large group of villages from Kadavu greeted both HMFS vessels with the usual Fijian traditional ceremony of welcome as they arrived at Vunisea on March 4. Officers and sailors of both vessels then attended a reception at the Namalata Central School. Later, both HMFS Kiro and HMFS Kula continued with their journey of patrolling the EEZ and surveying the reefs of Fiji’s territorial waters, a responsibility that will continue in the future, including the protection of Fiji’s EEZ from fishing poachers. Monitoring Fiji’s EEZ and surveying of reefs is quite a huge task in comparison with the size of the new Fiji Navy Squadron. However, with sound commitment, determination and sacrifice, the well trained sailors proudly carried out their task
to achieve the objective of the developing nation. Transfer of Fiji Hydrographic Service Having a hydrographic survey department is an important aspect in any nation but inception and development have been quite challenging for a maritime developing nation like Fiji, in terms of expertise and resources.
A major challenge that was encountered in Fiji was the diminishing hydrographic services provided by the Royal Navy Hydrographic Services as a result of decolonisation prior to the establishment of the Fiji Navy.
Fiji later established its hydrographic survey service in 1970 with the Fiji Marine Department. It was quite difficult for the unit in conducting surveys in Fiji waters due to the prolonged periods of repairs on the aging FHS vessel the MV Volasiga and the frequent diversion of survey trips to nonsurvey tasks. The Fiji Hydrographic Service was later transferred to the Fiji Navy in March 1976 including personnel and the unit vessel following a cabinet decision that established the naval squadron within the RFMF.
The transfer resulted in the name changing of the maritime force from the Fiji Navy Squadron RFMF to Naval Component of the Royal Fiji Military Forces. On Wednesday February 14, 1980, the Fiji Hydrographic Unit received a navigation devise from the United Nations Development Program valued at $35,000.00.
The highly sophisticated satellite navigation system, the MX 1107 Dual Channel Satellite Navigator was installed on the Naval Component Survey vessel the HMFS Ruve. The system had the capability to determine the exact position of a ship within 30 meters. The navigational device was also used for hydrographic tasks including the accurate plotting of reefs from navigational charts and determining the exact boundaries of Fiji’s 200-mile economic zone. The device was also capable of verifying possible boundary violations. Ex-minesweeper for survey tasks A successful helicopter medivac of an injured seaman from a tug at sea led to inquiries being made about the feasibility of landing a helicopter on the ex- minesweepers.
Ian Simpson, the owner of Pacific Crown Helicopter Company and the pilot who had carried out the difficult medevac was asked for advice and a flight deck was designed to his specifications. Simpson learned to fly with the Royal Navy as a National Serviceman and since that time flew helicopters in many countries before settling in Fiji. Minesweeping equipment and winch was removed from HMFS Kula. The top of the mess was equipped as a landing platform with adjustable railings. The successful refurbishment of the naval ship resulted in the Government of Australia paying the expenses for operating the ship and for the charter of a helicopter for the rapid survey of baseline points which resulted in the correctly charting of Fiji’s EEZ.
When Fiji’s EEZ was correctly and economically charted, the project was extended to survey the baseline points in Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Two Fiji naval ships participated in the Tuvalu Independence
day celebrations in 1982. The Commander Naval Component of RFMF who was also in Tuvalu for the celebrations acted as a pilot to HMNZ Otago and USS Benjamin Stoddart. The HMFS Ruve was decommissioned in November 1986, subsequently followed by the transfer of government seabed exploration vessel, the MV Bulikula, which was commissioned as HMFS Latui, replacing the outgoing FHS survey vessel. Towards the end of the first decade of the new Fiji Navy, as a result of the transfer of the FHS, the unit name was changed from Commander Naval Division (CND) to Commander Navy Component (CNC).
The Fiji Government hoped that the militarisation of the FHS would benefit the unit for the training of personnel and the acquisition of equipment to be pursued within the terms of Fiji’s existing military cooperation programmes with Australia and New Zealand. The UN Hydrographer’s departure from Fiji following the transfer, left the unit with his less experienced assistants assuming the position. The recruitment commenced on March 14, 1976. SLT Esala Teleni was selected and departed Fiji on January 16, 1978 to attend the H4 Assistant Surveyor Course conducted at the HMAS Penguin from January 16 to June 2, 1978. He completed the course and was appointed the Hydrographic Officer of the Fiji Navy. He was later appointed as Executive Officer of the Hydrographic Office and took over responsibilities from SBLT Maesepp on March 27, 1980. An achievement of FHS in 1981 was its contribution to the declaration of Fiji’s maritime boundary by providing a set of three charts, prepared by unit cartographers, illustrating the limits. In mid-April 1976 twelve Navy recruits were selected to accompany a detachment of 34 soldiers to attend training in New Zealand. The delegation of military personnel from Fiji attended the Basic Engineering and Carpentry course at the New Zealand Army School of Military Engineering. The third Fiji Navy ship Government had indicated its intension to beef up the Fijian navy through recruitment in early 1976. Retired Warrant Officer Two (WO2) Class Two Manoa Cama recollected his experience in 1976: “I was attending secondary education at the Nabua Secondary School as a year 11 student when the Navy recruitment drive was advertised in the Fiji Times.
Retired WO2 Matereti Verekawa (RIP) was also attending year 11 at Nabua Secondary School.” “We decided to skip school the next day and attempt to apply for the recruitment drive at Queen Elizabeth Barracks. We were blessed when our application was accepted, so the school uniform was removed and was replaced by the Navy uniform. There were a total of 30 recruits enlisted on 14th March 1976. After the recruit pass out in April, twelve of us were selected as Navy pioneers to attend the one year course with Army personnel in New Zealand.” “Navy pioneers for training in NZ also included now retirees 22338 Inoke Luveni from Ono-i- Lau (RIP), 22319 Pelame Rokovino from Bua, 22347 Nafitalai Kurabui from Vanuavatu (RIP), 22328 Aminiasi Marau from Kabara, 22333 Jale Bulabalavu from Kadavu (RIP), Jeke Vakararawa from Moala (RIP), 22331 Ropate Raiyawa from Beqa (RIP), 22326 Peni Kuboutawa from Cakaudrove, 22329 Manoa Cama from Kabara, 22332 Tom Michel from Cakaudrove, 22327 Fabio Veikoso from Rewa and 22330 Josaia Rayawa from Kadavu (RIP).”
In April 1976 Government also announced its intention to purchase a third navy vessel to assist the Fijian navy in carrying out its operational tasking, training and periods for refits. Government had decided to purchase a third ship which was the same size as the first two vessels which cost $17,500.00 with a refurbishment cost of $100,000.00. The PM hinted that the Cabinet may later decide whether the third vessel would be used as a standby navy ship or to be fully manned by the required crew. A ships company from the Fijian navy arrived in Seattle in June 1976 for the deliverance of the third ship which was also
identified by Commander Stan Brown on his previous tour in 1975. Fortunately, Commander Stan Brown stated that members of the ship company enjoyed their trip as Seattle appeared beautiful during summertime which was similar to the weather in Fiji.
In mid-July the former United States Navy Ship and the USS Abanaki departed Seattle for Hawaii for a week’s search and rescue training at Pearl Harbour. After the search and rescue training the navy ship departed Pearl Harbour for Fiji. They anchored at Weilagilala for a break before they continued their journey to Suva which was welcomed by the traditional welcoming ceremony known as ‘cere’. HE the GovernorGeneral, Ratu Sir George Cakobau officially welcomed the Navy Vessel which was later commissioned as HMFS Kikau. The arrival of the HMFS Kikau was a morale booster at the new Fijian naval base and the three Fiji Navy Ships continued with their naval tasks. The three ships maintained a phase of EEZ patrolling and further training. Midshipmen were accepted for training in HMNZS Tamaki and ratings were also sent for training courses in New Zealand. A Staff Officer for the Navy was supplied by the RAN and training also offered in Australia. The minesweepers, as a squadron, acted as Royal Escort in Fiji waters to HMS Brittania when the Queen visited Fiji in 1977. HMFS Kiro performed that duty in 1982 when Her Majesty visited Tuvalu for the first time.
• To be continue next week.
