Fiji Navy patrol boat runs aground on maiden voyage, months after being donated by Australia :o

Reminds me of a rich uncle that gave his nephew a reasonably new car to get around. The nephew does not take care of it and wrecks the car later.

Vanuatu voters back reforms aiming to bring political stability, after decades of churn in governments ::)

Fiji works to recover patrol boat that ran aground after being gifted by Australia ::)

Brian Ross wrote on Jun 16^th, 2024 at 1:03pm:

Fiji works to recover patrol boat that ran aground after being gifted by Australia ::)

I had a friend who spent a couple of years as a technical advisor to the navy of one of these coconut kingdoms. They had their brand spanking new patrol boats and were most pleased with them, but the moment they got them home they forgot all the training they had been given by the RAN and just ran them into the ground. Planned maintenance was a foreign concept ( literally) and as my mate and his boss were only 'advisors' there was little they could to to enforce proper practice.

A turning point came when the life rafts were due for inspection and the closest place to do this was New Zealand.  The requirement was simply ignored and instruction came from Australia that the RAN advisors were no longer to go to sea on these boats.

As my mate said, a good posting as a place to live but professionally very unsatisfying watching all the problems caused by laziness and lack of understanding among local personnel.

Fiji naval vessel gifted by Australia sustains damage during docking :o

Wouldn't go here for a holiday

Pacific airfield that set stage for atomic bombing of Japan set for revival

Australia and Vanuatu agree to $500m deal, but details remain scarce 8-)

https://i.imgur.com/BJFOUX4.jpeg

Albo signs a bilateral security treaty with Fiji.

[media width=400]https://youtu.be/c_ha0Y8_HB4[/media]

;D


Defence Minister Richard Marles has announced the federal government will invest $1.7 billion in "ghost shark" submarines.

Marles says the contract will mean dozens of the stealth submarines will be built in the first tranche of the program for the Royal Australian Navy.

"Given the stealth of [the] ghost shark, we do not want to point out the precise number of these units," Marles says.

"Ultimately, what this does is provide enormous capability for the Royal Australian Navy [to] work in conjunction with an enhanced surface fleet," he says.


Does that mean some of these Ghost Sharks will operate out of Fiji?

It's a big bastard ...

https://i.imgur.com/wwbUck7.jpeg

3 (prototypes) produced so far.

Plans for $1.7 billion underwater 'Ghost Shark' drone fleet unveiled