Fijian Army

[Imshi-Yallah]

Hi,

Does anyone know what sort of equipment the Fijian Military currently employs? All can find via google is their establishment (1 Light infantry brigade plus a small reserve force of 350, plus 9 light patrol boats) but I cannot find anything detailing equipment.

Do they have any AFVs or Arty Radars? Do they have gun systems or just infantry mortars?
Presumably they had to use APCs with UNIFIL but they may have been leased vehicles as was Ireland's case with the XA-188 in from the late 1980s until the end of Irish participation in 2000.

 

[dioditto]

I don't know much about them, but I do know they had a special forces group called "CRW - Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit" which is now disbanded.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter_Revolutionary_Warfare_Unit_(Fiji)

 

[contedicavour]

Hi,

Does anyone know what sort of equipment the Fijian Military currently employs? All can find via google is their establishment (1 Light infantry brigade plus a small reserve force of 350, plus 9 light patrol boats) but I cannot find anything detailing equipment.

Do they have any AFVs or Arty Radars? Do they have gun systems or just infantry mortars?
Presumably they had to use APCs with UNIFIL but they may have been leased vehicles as was Ireland's case with the XA-188 in from the late 1980s until the end of Irish participation in 2000.

Even Globaldefence.net only states that there are 3,500 soldiers with some armoured personnel carriers (doesn't say which) and up to 6,000 reserves.
They have served in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon and in the Sinai. Navy has 300 sailors and the 9 light patrol boats you mention (including some Pacific Forum boats that Australia has distributed to most South Pacific island states).

cheers

 

[Whiskyjack]

Even Globaldefence.net only states that there are 3,500 soldiers with some armoured personnel carriers (doesn't say which) and up to 6,000 reserves.
They have served in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon and in the Sinai. Navy has 300 sailors and the 9 light patrol boats you mention (including some Pacific Forum boats that Australia has distributed to most South Pacific island states).

cheers

Hard to find info on equipment. They do have a good website if you want to see organisation.

They are a professional military with many officers being trained in Australia and NZ, extensive peace keeping has seen exposure to many other militaries, I believe there are now around 2000 Fijians in the UK military at the moment with reports that there have been and are many in the SAS.

As for equipment it looks like M-16 or equivalent, SAWs, and GPMGs, they also have mortars. No Artillery but for ceremonial 25 pounders. Not sure what they have in regards to HMGs, or light AT weapons, have seen no reference to any such weapons though.

They do have body armour. But once again have no idea as to Comms and NVG.

Sorry not a lot of help.

 

[Imshi-Yallah]

The only difference between a ceremonial 25 pounder and an operational 25 pounder is the ammunition and a warrier paint job.

Since the ammunition is still being produced in at least one country (Pakistan I believe) it can be assumed that these weapons could be made operational assets as quickly as crews could be trained for tactical operations.

Presumably this is what was used to fire Illum rounds over the harbour the other night?


The same weapons system is still in use with Irish Reserve Artillery units, although it is being phased out in favour of the L119. It is currently used to maintain proficiency in gunnery skills in between annual L118/L119 shoots with guns borrowed from regular army units.

 

[Whiskyjack]

The only difference between a ceremonial 25 pounder and an operational 25 pounder is the ammunition and a warrier paint job.

Since the ammunition is still being produced in at least one country (Pakistan I believe) it can be assumed that these weapons could be made operational assets as quickly as crews could be trained for tactical operations.

Presumably this is what was used to fire Illum rounds over the harbour the other night?


The same weapons system is still in use with Irish Reserve Artillery units, although it is being phased out in favour of the L119. It is currently used to maintain proficiency in gunnery skills in between annual L118/L119 shoots with guns borrowed from regular army units.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v163/Imshi-Yallah/Album2/25lbrshoot.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v163/Imshi-Yallah/Album2/25lbrimpact.jpg

I guess it is possible, but with only 4...

They used what looked like an 81mm mortar for the illumination rounds.

 

[Imshi-Yallah]

That seems more likely alright...not even a battery of guns

 

[Whiskyjack]

Just flicked open my Asia Pacific Defence Reporter 2006 Source Book,

Army 3,200
Navy 300
Reserves Aprox 6,000

4 x 25 Pdr (Ceremonial)
12 x 81mm Mortars

1 x AS-355, 1 SA-365 helos

Of the Navy Patrol Boats nothing above 20mm.

 

[Imshi-Yallah]

Does that guide take into account direct fire weapons such as HMGs and ATGMs/Recoiless Rifles?

If so they seem grossly undergunned.

 

[Whiskyjack]

Does that guide take into account direct fire weapons such as HMGs and ATGMs/Recoiless Rifles?

If so they seem grossly undergunned.

Doesn't include HMGs but does include the rest. Thats not to say they don't have a few that have found there way there I guess.

But lets face it, this is an army that's orientation is internal security and UN missions.

 

[Imshi-Yallah]

Hmmmm, I find that argument hard to take.

Even in the bad old days of the 1970s/80s FCA (Irish local defence/homeguard type units) each infantry company had 60mm mortars, Carl Gustav 84mm RCLs and an a handful of MMGs (Vickers .303 guns) and that was a part time forces oriented towards internal security or at a push playing Robin Hood when the soviets came.

 

[Mick73]

I was attached to a Fijian infantry platoon on operations back in 94. They had M16A2 rifles, M16HBAR LSW with 100 round drim mags. No GPMGs, pistols or anything else that went bang.

 

[Imshi-Yallah]

Yikes, and here I thought we had it bad.

So it is essentially a gendarmerie...and a fairly lightly armed one at that.

 

[Mick73]

RFMF have a 5.56mm LSW ?? Minimi, 40mm M203 type GLA, CAR-15 carbines and have deployed 82mm Mortars during the latest crisis.
Plus some ADF webbing and packs...which they had issued to them during operations in Bougainville in 94.
The HBAR's in service did have serious feed problems with the drum mags. Mainly due to weapons training or lack of.

 

[Aussie Digger]

RFMF have a 5.56mm LSW ?? Minimi, 40mm M203 type GLA, CAR-15 carbines and have deployed 82mm Mortars during the latest crisis.
Plus some ADF webbing and packs...which they had issued to them during operations in Bougainville in 94.
The HBAR's in service did have serious feed problems with the drum mags. Mainly due to weapons training or lack of.

Actually footage of Fijian troops firing Illumination rounds, from an 81mm F2 mortar was shown last week on the news in Australia, as well as clips of Fijian troops armed with, M16/CAR-15's, Minimi LSW's and MAG-58 7.62mm GPMG's.

They also have at least several M2 12.7mm/0.50cal HMG's, as they were fitted to patrol boats that Australia supplied to Fiji.

It would not be difficult to employ them in a direct fire role on land. I haven't seen anything indicating they are equipped with anti-armour weapons, but I'd be surprised if they didn't at least have M72 ("66") LAW rockets.

The area they are truly lacking, is in Night vision and thermal capabilities. Otherwise they possess reasonably well armed light infantry forces, that possess an in-direct fire capability of sorts.

A not inconsequential threat...

 

[Mick73]

have deployed 82mm Mortars during the latest crisis.

I meant to say 81mm (my brain goes off from time to time).

I know that the RFMF get a lot of it's equipment from been deployed i.e. with the UN. They kind of turn up without some important gear and hope for a quick Q store visit.
You're right they must have 66's and probably some M18A1's in their system as well. Since Australia is a defence aid supplier to them and those two bit of gear are bread and butter of the infantry's weapon systems.

Although I don't see them using the M2's during this latest coup attempt.

On a side note... They are good soldiers, they work hard when they need to and take care of business well. I was rather impressed by the willingness of them to do the crap jobs with a smile.

 

[Aussie Digger]

I meant to say 81mm (my brain goes off from time to time).

I know that the RFMF get a lot of it's equipment from been deployed i.e. with the UN. They kind of turn up without some important gear and hope for a quick Q store visit.
You're right they must have 66's and probably some M18A1's in their system as well. Since Australia is a defence aid supplier to them and those two bit of gear are bread and butter of the infantry's weapon systems.

Although I don't see them using the M2's during this latest coup attempt.

On a side note... They are good soldiers, they work hard when they need to and take care of business well. I was rather impressed by the willingness of them to do the crap jobs with a smile.

I haven't "seen" their Army with M2's either, but I know their Navy has at least a couple, as I've seen photo's of them...

No doubt Army would want a few for direct fire support if it could get their hands on some...

 

[Imshi-Yallah]

That makes a whole lot more sense, I wonder if they might just strip all the weapons systems off their ships if the need arose to fight on the home islands.

 

[Aussie Digger]

That makes a whole lot more sense, I wonder if they might just strip all the weapons systems off their ships if the need arose to fight on the home islands.

I would imagine so. Patrol vessels with 12.7mm guns aren't going to do much against a force with Naval vessels of the capability to conduct an invasion of Fiji, but those same 12.7mm guns against light infantry, specwarries, helo's or even light armour???

That's a different "kettle of fish"...

 

[Pathfinder-X]

Is there any possibility that Australia or NZ will intervene if a coup does occur and things turn violent? Naturally they are the only ones close enough with the capability to do so.