Royal Australian Airforce C-27 to assist Fijians
THE arrival of the Royal Australian Airforce C-27 will address the growing threats of extreme weather and floods, and the worrying trends in illicit narcotics.
This as Fiji and Australia have collaborated to deliver a Defense Pacific Air Program under the Vuvale Partnership.
The Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration, Pio Tikoduadua said Fiji and Australia are working together to build Pacific resilience to traditional and non-traditional security threats.
“Already this year we are reminded of the growing threats of extreme weather and floods and the worrying trends of illicit narcotics.”
Minister Tikoduadua highlighted that the aircraft will give Government the reach to provide services to “the remote parts of Fiji where the aircraft can land and take items and equipment to the people”.
“Australia’s deployment of a Royal Australian Airforce C-27 provides a valuable building block to tackle these threatsand to build a safer nation and a safer Pacific region,” Minister Tikoduadua said.
He said that the Australian Air Force team will be deployed to Fiji on an ongoing basis for two out of every eight weeks.
“As this is the first rotation to Fiji, we must first work on effective national coordination. We live in an age where we cannot work as individuals, and no single agency has all the answers. Our people depend on us in Government to work with national purpose- this is the Pacific way.”
Minister Tikoduadua has called on the various Ministries to coordinate well with the Australian team and the Joint Air Tasking Unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs.