PM Will Commission New Naval Vessel

A delegation from the People’s Republic of China’s People’s Liberation Army-Navy will also be present to witness the hand-over ceremony.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama will be chief guest at the handing over and commissioning of the state-of-art navy vessel Republic of Fiji Navy Ship (RFNS) Kacau on Friday at the Stanley Brown Naval Base, Walu Bay, Suva.

This was confirmed to the Fiji Sun by Chief of the RFMF Naval Division Captain (Navy) Humphrey Tawake. A delegation from the People’s Republic of China’s People’s Liberation Army-Navy will be present to witness the handing over ceremony, which will be officiated by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Fiji. The commissioning, he said, would be done by Prime Minister Bainimarama.

The RFNS Kacau arrived in October on a cargo vessel and was offloaded at Suva’s King’s Wharf. It is a hydrographic vessel that will help the Fijian Navy in the measurement and description of the physical features of the coastal areas. Captain (Navy) Tawake said the vessel would also help with surveillance and maritime issues that the Fijian Navy was involved in. The RFNS Kacau, Captain (Navy) Tawake said, 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 magnitude because of the role we have in Fiji. Not only that, but also maritime security in the region”. The crew of the new navy vessel, he said, had undergone training at the navy base at Togalevu, about 17 kilometres West of Suva, just to refine their maritime skills before they get posted on board.

He said a team from the Republic of China’s PLA-Navy was in the country to conduct the sea transit and check on technical aspects of the vessel.