The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) has deployed Bluebottle Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) to Fiji as part of Operation Calypso, a major regional effort to bolster maritime security in the South Pacific. Transported aboard the HMNZS Canterbury, the two USVs—named Tahi and Rua—arrived in Suva to assist with patrolling Fiji’s exclusive economic zone and combating illegal fishing and drug trafficking.
The HMNZS Canterbury, a Multi-Role Vessel (MRV) and the largest ship in the RNZN fleet, acts as the primary operational platform. Weighing over 9,000 tonnes, it is built for amphibious transport and humanitarian missions, equipped with a well dock, a helicopter flight deck, and extensive storage and personnel capacity. In this mission, Canterbury not only delivered the USVs but also serves as the central hub for coordination and support of joint maritime operations with the Fijian Navy.
Complementing the sea assets, aerial reconnaissance is provided by a No. 42 Squadron King Air aircraft from the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Meanwhile, Fijian Navy ships remain on standby to intercept suspicious vessels. The Bluebottle USVs are monitored from the Maritime Essential Services Centre in Suva, jointly manned by RNZN and Fijian Navy staff, with command and control after hours shifting to HMNZS Matataua at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland.
