A Pacific patrol boat has run aground on its maiden voyage in Fiji, just a few months after it was handed over by the Australian government.
A Fiji Navy patrol boat has run aground during its maiden voyage, after the Australian government donated the vessel in March.
No injuries have been reported but the accident is a major embarrassment for Fiji's Navy which commissioned the high-tech vessel less than a month agoAustralia handed over the Guardian-class patrol boat RFNS Puamau to Fiji at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia earlier this year.In a statement, Fiji's Navy said its first priority was "the safety and welfare of all crew onboard and safely recovering the vessel".
A local witness told the ABC that the passage where the RFNS Puamau ran aground was known to be treacherous, and that there were strong easterly winds at the weekend.The Guardian-class patrol boats are popular with Pacific Island governments, which use the Australian-built high-tech vessels to survey their vast maritime zones and track illegal fishing.
Royal Australian Navy Fiji Navy Fulaga Island Gifted Navy Boat Fiji RFNS Puamau
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