Design planning has officially begun for a new headquarters for the 3rd Battalion Fiji Infantry Regiment (3FIR), the Republic of Fiji Military Forces unit whose previous base was destroyed in a 2021 fire. The initiative, announced at Queen Elizabeth Barracks this week, is a tripartite project involving the governments of Australia, Japan and Fiji and marks the first security infrastructure partnership among the three nations.
Minister for Defence and Veterans’ Affairs Pio Tikoduadua attended a formal acknowledgement event at the barracks alongside Australian and Japanese representatives Peter Roberts and Hiroshi Tajima and senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. Officials say the early-stage activity is focused on design and planning rather than immediate construction, with partners aiming to ensure the new facility meets the operational needs of 3FIR.
From March 3 to 6, 2026, a joint scoping study team undertook initial site assessments at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks and held a User Requirements Workshop with RFMF personnel. The workshop was intended to gather input from unit commanders and staff on the functional and technical requirements that should shape the headquarters’ layout and systems, including accommodation, command-and-control spaces and support facilities. The outcomes of that study will guide the detailed design phase now under way.
At this stage the three governments’ commitments are limited to planning and design activities; there has not yet been an announcement of a construction timeline, total cost, or delivery schedule. Project stakeholders have framed the work as a necessary rebuilding of infrastructure lost in the 2021 blaze and as part of broader efforts to deepen defence cooperation in the Pacific. Officials described the arrangement as significant because it is the first time Australia, Japan and Fiji have partnered specifically on security infrastructure for the RFMF.
The replacement of the 3FIR headquarters comes amid a period of growing external defence engagement in Fiji and the wider Pacific. In recent years, several partners have expanded training, equipment assistance and institutional cooperation with Pacific island states; this tri-lateral design partnership signals an emphasis on shared investment in physical infrastructure as a means of strengthening regional security ties. For the RFMF, restoring a modern, fit-for-purpose battalion headquarters is intended to bolster operational readiness, disaster response capabilities and routine training activities.
Next steps are expected to include completion of detailed designs, cost estimates and procurement planning once the scoping study recommendations are finalised. The involvement of three governments at the planning stage aims to align technical standards and funding arrangements before construction decisions are taken. Further announcements are likely once partners agree on final designs and implementation timelines.
The project represents a concrete follow-up to the RFMF’s operational needs after the 2021 fire and is being presented by participants as a demonstration of sustained partnership between Fiji, Australia and Japan.
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