Lusiana Divokitira 
Republic of Fiji Navy at the Naval base.
The Fiji Navy has received a new boat ramp and three seven-metre Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats from the United States Defence Assistance Programme, strengthening its capacity to patrol and monitor Fiji’s maritime waters.
The ramp and boats are part of a U.S. Department of War project aimed at strengthening the Fiji Navy’s capacity and enhancing maritime domain awareness.
United States Ambassador Representative Christina Cavallo says the new assets will boost Fiji’s ability to patrol its waters, combat illegal fishing and intercept drug traffickers moving narcotics through the Pacific.
Together with our allies and partners, we share a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific that is grounded in the rule of law, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The
provision of these votes and this program will advance that vision, something we are proud to do in cooperation with the Republic of Indiana.
The Minister for Defence and Veterans Affairs, Pio Tikoduadua, says the significance of the handover will be measured in the years ahead, particularly through its
contribution to protecting Fiji’s waters, supporting communities and potentially saving lives.
He said that the vessels will play an important role in protecting Fiji’s waters, assisting communities and potentially saving lives, adding that this is the true
significance of the handover.
“These vessels will support, in the waters they help us protect, in the communities they assist, and perhaps one day in the lives they help save. That is where the real
meaning of today lies.”
The handover builds on the existing maritime partnership between Fiji and the United States and strengthens ongoing practical defence cooperation between the two countries.
