Fiji’s RFNS Timo has taken a prominent role in Exercise Kakadu 2026, joining five other Guardian-class patrol boats under the Pacific Maritime Security Program (PMSP) in Cairns for the Royal Australian Navy–hosted multinational drills. The deployment — part of a coordinated regional effort to bolster maritime security — saw the Timo complete a journey of more than 1,300 nautical miles and participate in a range of joint operations alongside international partners.
During the exercise the vessel and its crew were involved in boarding drills, vessel screening and tactical manoeuvres designed to sharpen interoperability with regional navies and coast guards. Prior to setting to sea from Cairns, the Timo’s crew took part in extensive planning sessions, operational briefings and pre-sail preparations aimed at synchronising procedures with the other PMSP patrol boats and partner forces.
The RFNS Timo was one of six Guardian-class vessels that staged in Cairns before moving to major exercise activities, and later featured in the Exercise Kakadu Fleet Review held in Sydney Harbour. The fleet review coincided with the Royal Australian Navy’s 125th anniversary and provided a high-profile opportunity for Pacific partners to demonstrate their newer capabilities alongside larger regional forces.
Beyond hands-on maritime training, personnel from PMSP-participating nations took part in team-building events organised around the exercise. Activities included a sports day and a formal blessing of the fleet — ceremonial elements that organisers say help build trust and camaraderie between crews from different nations and services as much as the operational work does.
The deployment is the latest practical test and showcase for the RFNS Timo since Australia gifted the vessel to Fiji as part of ongoing regional support. The patrol boat replaces the decommissioned RFNS Puamau and has already been used on domestic patrols and community visits; its participation in Kakadu underlines Fiji’s intent to integrate the boat into higher-end regional operations and joint training. Fiji’s Minister for Home Affairs, Pio Tikoduadua, travelled to Australia to receive the vessel and previously highlighted that the Timo would enhance Fiji’s capacity to safeguard its waters and resources.
Australia’s Pacific Maritime Security Program, which supplied the Guardian-class boats to a number of Pacific island nations, remains the framework for this deployment. Australian officials and regional partners have framed Exercise Kakadu as a central venue for strengthening coordination at sea, improving maritime domain awareness and building closer defence ties — outcomes organisers say will help Pacific states better protect fisheries, territories and seaborne trade routes.
For Fiji, the Timo’s Kakadu deployment is a visible signal of growing operational reach and partnership. The coordinated 1,300-nautical-mile transit and the array of combined drills showcase the vessel’s endurance and the RFMF’s ability to operate alongside regional navies — an important step as Pacific states respond to rising maritime security challenges in the region.
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