The new Republic of Fiji Military Forces Naval Division Headquarters will be named RFNS Bainimarama.

This is in honour of Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s contributions to the Fijian Navy, Republic of Fiji Military Forces and the people.

The multi-million dollar project would be funded, co-ordinated and designed by the Australian Government under the ‘Vuvale’ partnership.

Navy Commander, Commodore Humphrey Tawake, clarified yesterday that there would be no changes to the RFNS Stanley Brown base in Walu Bay.

“RFNS Stanley Brown is our operational base. In naval tradition, most bases and ships are named after prominent naval personnel who have served and made enormous contributions to the navy,” Commodore Tawake said.

“Captain Stanley Brown was the first Fiji Navy Commander and in essence we have named the new headquarters as RFNS Bainimarama. There’s nothing sinister about it; it’s just the naval tradition. The same thing that we do for ships like RFNS Savenaca and Puamau.”

The new headquarters in Lami would include the Fiji Hydrographic Centre, Fiji Maritime Surveillance and Rescue Coordination
Centre, Coastal Radio and the Maritime Essential Services Centre.

“Housing all maritime essential services under one roof is the new direction that the Fijian Navy is taking in order to meet the maritime and security needs of Fiji,” Commodore Tawake said.

“They will provide liaison services for any maritime search and rescue operation.

“For information analysis we will be able to provide actionable information to our stakeholders in a much quicker time then what we used to have before, it took hours and days because no one was there.

“Now with the relevant maritime security stakeholders stationed within the maritime essential services centre working towards a common cause we will be able to address our security needs in a much more efficient way.”

Works on the new headquarters will begin early next month. It is expected to finish in 2024.

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