Fiji and NZ reaffirm defence ties with historic deployment of $3m uncrewed vessel

Fiji and New Zealand have marked a significant milestone in their defence partnership with the historic deployment of two uncrewed surface vessels, known as blue bottles, with a total worth $3 million into Fijian waters, under Fiji’s tasking for the first time.

Speaking at the handover, Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs Pio Tikoduadua says the enduring strength of the Fiji–New Zealand relationship is rooted in shared ancestry, wartime solidarity, and ongoing people-to-people ties.

Tikoduadua says in iTaukei, it is called veiwekani bond of kinship and family, and while referring to the World War II cooperation, he highlighted that New Zealand forces operated from nearby Laucala Bay, noting how both nations, though small, are linked to a rapidly changing and globalised international system.

He says great partnerships are responsive, as they adapt to a changing world, even as they honour their shared history.

The Minister acknowledged new threats faced by both countries, including climate change, transnational crime, and pressure on global rule-based systems, and described the deployment of the vessels as a forward-leaning response to those challenges.

Tikoduadua says the blue bottle vessels, capable of long-endurance missions without crew, will support fisheries protection, marine surveillance and meteorological monitoring across Fiji’s exclusive economic zones.

He thanked New Zealand for its contribution and extended particular appreciation to New Zealand’s Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, for making the deployment possible.

He says this is a first for Fiji, and a clear testament to the strength of cooperation and shared willingness to adapt.

The Minister also reflected on the 2022 Status of Forces Agreement signed between the two nations, which paved the way for smoother joint operations like this one, and praised Operation Calypso as a tangible outcome of the agreement.

He says that Fiji and New Zealand would continue to stand shoulder to shoulder.