Thunder clap heard in Fiji

Fire crews undergo training in the newly completed DC firefigthter trainer, during Exercise Kurukuru in Suva, Fiji

Pacific Patrol Boat crews from Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu and Sea Trainers from the RAN’s Minor War Vessel Sea Training Unit take part in training exercises including tactical baton instruction.

By LEUT Brad Bower, RFN

The first multi-national maritime exercise to be conducted in South West Pacific was successfully hosted by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) recently.

Exercise Kurukuru (Fijian for thunder) the brainchild of the CMDR Bill Naupoto, RFN (Chief of Fiji Navy) and CMDR Mick Stone, RAN (HGSCS HMAS Cerberus) saw the waters of Fiji a hive of activity.

Pacific Patrol Boats (PPBs) from the Pacific nations of Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu and Sea Trainers from the RAN’s Minor War Vessel Sea Training Unit congregated in Suva, Fiji, for the start of the eight-day exercise.

The harbour phase saw participating countries receive presentations and instruction on boarding operations theory including international law considerations and roles of FFA, search and rescue, firefighting training in the newly completed DC firefighter trainer, small arms and tactical baton instruction.

The harbour phase also saw a request from the Maritime Surveillance Centre Fiji resulting in RFNS Kikau boarding and apprehending the Vanuatu registered long liner Lian Chi Sheng, found operating illegally within Fiji’s EEZ with shark product to the value of 95,000 FJD. This case is currently being processed through the Fiji courts.

The sea phase saw the command teams and their respective ship companies placed through a series of mariner skills, boarding operations and first aid assistance exercises, all executed under the watchful eye of CMDR Mark Burling (CST to MWVSTU) and his Staff Navigation Officer LCDR “The Jackal” Kraus, RANR.

The MSAs, LCDR Mike Gough (MSA Fiji), LCDR Mark Korsten (MSA Tonga) and their respective technical advisers, ably assisted the Fiji Navy’s STG as ships’ companies were rotated through the array of serialised incidents.

All stakeholders agreed that the obvious benefits to interacting on a bi-annual basis with our Pacific neighbours and improving the interoperability between Pacific nation Navies and maritime police units would see a more confident and overt posture being projected by nations like Fiji in policing our individual maritime boundaries.

With the universal acceptance received in individual post exercise reports’ the CMDR RFMF, CDRE Bainimarama, hopes that future Kurukuru exercise includes a larger participation of sea trainers from the RAN’s elite Minor War Vessel Sea Training Unit and the inclusion of RAN and French Naval assets to establish a truly multi-national maritime exercise for
the SW Pacific region.

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