Exercise Bougainville: RFMF to lead national readiness drill

The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) will lead a three-week national exercise next month to test Fiji's ability to respond to disasters, civil unrest, terrorism and maritime security threats.

Exercise Bougainville 2026, which runs from August 7 to 28, will involve about 660 personnel from seven Government agencies, including the Fiji Police Force, Ministry of Health and National Fire Authority, alongside defence partners Australia and New Zealand.

The exercise was formalised today with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at the RFMF Strategic Headquarters in Berkley Crescent, Suva, witnessed by permanent secretaries from participating ministries.

RFMF Exercise Bougainville lead planner Captain Seci Nawalowalo said the exercise would validate the military's readiness to support a coordinated national response to major emergencies.

"The strategic intent has never deviated from what we had began with in February, essentially to validate the RFMF's readiness to support an inter-agency or joint crisis response to a multi-agency coordination framework," he said.

Captain Nawalowalo said the exercise followed a six-month planning process and would begin with a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief response to a simulated tropical cyclone before progressing to civil unrest, insurgency, terrorism and maritime incursion scenarios.

"This will see the initiation of the exercise through the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief platform, which is an inter-agency response to a tropical cyclone," he said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations Kasiano Vusonilawe said the exercise would strengthen coordination between the military, Police and other Government agencies.

"We are of the same responsibility with the military and also other government agencies for the coordination in terms of our release, in line with the natural disasters and other natural challenges that usually challenge our role," he said.

Acting Permanent Secretary for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Mitieli Cama said the exercise would help identify gaps in Fiji's emergency response systems.

"We are looking forward to this exercise to identify those gaps in the systems and processes, particularly when it comes to coordination with line agencies," he said.

The exercise opens at Queen Elizabeth Barracks on August 7 and concludes with a closing ceremony at Black Rock, Nadi, on August 26.