RFNS Kula (201) is a Pacific Forum patrol boat operated by Fiji. She was designed and built by Australia and launched in 1994. Australia agreed to provide twenty-two patrol boats to twelve of its neighbours and fellow members of the Pacific Forum, after the recently concluded United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extended maritime nations' exclusive economic zone to 200 kilometres (110 nmi).[1] Australia provided two other patrol vessels to Fiji, Kikau and Kiro. Australia also provided training and infrastructure for maintaining the vessels.
Operational history
On June 27, 1994, Kula undertook her first search and rescue expedition, eventually finding and rescuing two young girls from Vanuatu whose punt had gone adrift.[2] The weather was bad and visibility poor when she arrived at the search site over twelve hours later, and her commander, Viliame Nauputo, requested the assistance of a French Navy aircraft, from Noumea.
In 2004 armed crew-members boarded and captured a pirate fishing vessel.[3]
In June 2017 Kula rescued four New Zealand businessmen when their yacht was wrecked in Fijian waters.[4]
Although Australia designed the vessels using commercial off-the-shelf components for ease of maintenance, Fiji found the vessels hard to maintain, and there were periods that only Kula remained operational.[5][6]
A decommissioning ceremony was held on December 22, 2019, prior to Kula's final voyage to Australia, for disassembly.[7]Rear AdmiralViliame Naupoto, the commanding officer of the Fiji Military Forces, spoke at the ceremony. Naupoto had served aboard Kula's commissioning voyage in 1994. Kula departed for Australia on January 20, 2020.[8]
Replacement
Australia started building 21 larger and more capable replacement vessels in 2017.[9] Fiji is scheduled to receive two new vessels. RFNS Savenaca will replace Kula is scheduled to be delivered in March 2020.[10][7]
References
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Dave Morley (2015-12-03). "Lifelines across Pacific"(PDF). Navy News. Vol. 58, no. 23. p. 8. Retrieved 2018-08-12. The program involves 22 Australian-gifted patrol boats to 12 Pacific island countries, the majority of which are operated by police services.
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Maika Bolaitiki (2004-05-24). "Fishing boat seized in Fiji waters". Pacific Island Report. Suva, Fiji. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-06-09. Fiji navy spokesman Captain Bradley Bower confirmed yesterday that six armed navy officers of the RFNS Kula had boarded the fishing vessel with two fisheries officers without any resistance.
^"Fiji Navy fleet down to one vessel". Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. 2017-04-26. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-06-11. Of the four vessels that were part of the fleet, the RFNS Kikau will be sealifted to Australia tomorrow for a refit where it will remain there for the remainder of the year.
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Sainiani Boila (2019-12-22). "Navy decommissions RFNS Kula". Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2019-12-22. The Fiji Navy says the RFNS will be scrapped and will be replaced by a larger and more capable Guardian Class Patrol boat RFNS Savenaca.
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Maika Bolatiki (2018-03-07). "Australian High Commissioner Visits RFMF Commander". Fiji Sun. Archived from the original on 2018-04-23. Retrieved 2018-04-22. Director Peacekeeping Operations and Advisor to the RFMF Commander Lieutenant Colonel Pacolo Luveni said, in this visit Mr Feakes said the replacement of the Kula, a Guardian class patrol vessel will be arriving into Fiji on March 2020 and not in 2022.
^"Our New Patrol Boats Ready By 2022, 2023". Fiji Sun. 2016-06-03. Archived from the original on 2016-10-09. Retrieved 2018-06-11. Fiji is part of the Australian Government's Pacific Maritime Security Programme (PMSP), which will include the replacement of Fiji's existing Pacific Patrol Boats (RFNS Kula, RFNS Kikau and RFNS Kiro).Th ese vessels will be replaced with two new larger replacement vessels.
