Australia to provide Fiji with solar-powered maritime surveillance drones

Overview

Updated Oct 25

Australia will give Fiji Bluebottle surveillance boats as permanent Fijian assets, with the first expected in early 2027. The 7.5-metre craft run on solar, wind and wave power, can stay at sea for up to six months, and carry radar, sonar and cameras.

New Zealand's uncrewed boats Tahi and Rua finished a four-week patrol of Fiji's waters in October, flagging 137 vessels of interest. Fiji's Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua said he had examined the patrol data and that the operation exposed suspicious illegal fishing. Australia has committed A$600 million to Waqa Moana, the regional effort against drug smuggling at sea.

Why it matters

Pacific nations cannot watch vast ocean stretches alone; uncrewed boats give Fiji months-long eyes on drug routes.

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Key Indicators

A$600M

Waqa Moana pledge for Pacific maritime security

Announced by Australia at the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau in September 2026.

A$312M

Australia's decade-long Waqa Moana funding

Reported by the Fiji Times during Defence Minister Peter Khalil's visit to Fiji; the broader regional pledge is A$600 million.

Bluebottle drones in Australia's fleet

15 in Navy service now; a A$176 million March 2026 deal added 40 more.

180+ days

Maximum time a Bluebottle can patrol at sea

137

Vessels flagged in NZ-led Fiji patrol

New Zealand's uncrewed vessels Tahi and Rua identified 137 vessels of interest during four weeks of surveillance in Fiji's exclusive economic zone.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Pat Conroy

Australia's Minister for Defence Industry

Announced the Fiji drone deal on October 16, 2026

Matt Buckley

Vice Admiral, Chief of Royal Australian Navy

Overseeing the Navy's Bluebottle drone expansion

Peter Khalil

Australia's Minister for Defence

Announced A$312 million Waqa Moana funding during a Fiji visit in October 2026

Pio Tikoduadua

Fiji's Minister for Defence and Veterans Affairs

Said the New Zealand-led drone patrol exposed suspicious illegal fishing

Timoci Natuva

Commodore, Chief of the Fijian Navy

Welcomed the New Zealand uncrewed vessel patrol results in October 2026

Lemeki Lenoa

Director, Fiji Maritime Essential Services Centre

Assessing data from the New Zealand uncrewed vessel patrol

Peter Roberts

Australian High Commissioner to Fiji

Announced in Lami that Australia will give Fiji Bluebottle vessels as permanent assets

Organizations Involved

Ocius

Defence technology company

Manufacturer of Bluebottle drones; opened new Sydney factory October 2026

Sydney-based maker of the Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessel, powered by solar, wind and waves.

Royal Australian Navy

Military service branch

Operates 15 Bluebottles under Operation Resolute; acquiring 40 more

Australia's naval force, using Bluebottle drones for maritime border surveillance and submarine detection.

Government of Fiji

National government

Approved maritime security strategy; reviewing NZ uncrewed vessel surveillance data

First Pacific nation to receive Bluebottle drones under the Waqa Moana initiative.

New Zealand Defence Force

Armed forces

Finished a four-week Bluebottle patrol of Fiji's waters in October 2026 and shipped the vessels home to New Zealand

New Zealand's armed forces, collaborating with Fiji on uncrewed vessel trials.

Timeline

March 2026 October 2026

11 events Latest: October 19th, 2026 · 3 weeks ago Showing 8 of 11

Tap a bar to jump to that date

October 2026
New Zealand uncrewed vessels complete Fiji patrol
Latest Military

The New Zealand Navy and Customs vessels Tahi and Rua spent four weeks in Fiji's exclusive economic zone at Fiji's request, flagging 137 vessels of interest during round-the-clock surveillance.
October 19th, 2026
Australia announces Fiji Bluebottle drone deal
Announcement

Drones and training to be supplied to Fiji; Ocius opens new Sydney factory. First deployment expected early 2027.
October 16th, 2026
Fiji approves maritime security strategy
Policy

Strategy targets transnational crime, including methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking.
October 15th, 2026
Australia pledges A$312 million to Waqa Moana
Funding

Defence Minister Peter Khalil announced A$312 million in funding over the next decade during a visit to Fiji, the Fiji Times reported. Australia is negotiating two Bluebottle vessels for Fiji.
October 2026
Fiji and New Zealand launch second round of Bluebottle trials
Military

Fiji and New Zealand began a second round of operational trials of renewable-powered uncrewed surface vessels in Fijian waters, following proof-of-concept runs in 2025.
October 2026
Australia confirms Bluebottles will be permanent Fijian assets
Announcement

High Commissioner Peter Roberts announced in Lami, alongside Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua, that Australia would give Fiji the uncrewed vessels outright. The number of boats, their cost and arrival date were not disclosed.
October 2026
Fiji says drone patrol exposed suspicious illegal fishing
Military

Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua said he examined data from the four-week New Zealand operation, in which some vessels were boarded and aircraft watched the Yasawa Islands and Lau waters. Vessel details were recorded and passed to the relevant authorities.
October 2026
September 2026
Australia pledges A$600 million Waqa Moana initiative
Policy

Pacific-led program announced at Pacific Islands Forum in Palau to fight organised crime at sea.
September 2026
July 2026
Australia and Fiji sign Ocean of Peace Treaty
Treaty

Mutual defence pact, Australia's fourth alliance and Fiji's first.
July 2026
China tests ballistic missile in South Pacific
Military

Missile test conducted hours after Australia-Fiji treaty signing.
July 2026
March 2026
Australia orders 40 more Bluebottle drones
Acquisition

Government signs A$176 million agreement, bringing Navy fleet to 55 drones.
March 2026

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Scenarios

Fiji's Bluebottle force goes operational in 2027

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Australian Defence Ministry officials; AFP and Straits Times reporting

Minister Conroy confirmed the first drone will reach Fiji early 2027, with the full contingent following as Ocius scales up production. Fiji operates the drones as sovereign assets and decides whether navy or police command them. A working deployment confirms the Waqa Moana model is viable.

Waqa Moana spreads to Vanuatu and Solomon Islands

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Minister Conroy's direct bilateral cooperation remarks naming Vanuatu and Solomon Islands

Conroy named Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu as direct bilateral partners under Australia's Pacific maritime security programs. If the Fiji drone deployment succeeds and Ocius production ramps up, similar deals for other island states likely follow within the A$600 million commitment.

China counters with rival Pacific security agreements

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Strategic context from the Ocean of Peace Treaty and China's July 2026 South Pacific missile test

China tested a ballistic missile in the South Pacific hours after Australia and Fiji signed their mutual defence pact. The regional competition may push China to offer its own security, policing or surveillance assistance to Pacific nations, reshaping the security balance the drone deal is meant to address.

Bluebottle platform expands to Japan

Likely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Defence Connect, citing Ocius and Navy statements

Defence Connect reported Australian Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessels will sail soon to Japanese waters, with the fleet running over 10 now and surpassing 50 once the 40 newly ordered drones arrive. Fiji and Japan deployments together point to Ocius scaling production for multiple Indo-Pacific customers.

New Zealand stations uncrewed vessels in Fiji long-term

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: 1News reporting on New Zealand's Pacific surveillance build-up

New Zealand is expanding maritime surveillance in the Pacific and has more uncrewed vessel support for Fiji in the pipeline, 1News reported. A permanent or recurring NZ deployment would add a second supplier of persistent surveillance alongside Australia's Bluebottles.

Drone-flagged vessels lead to prosecutions in Fiji

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Fiji's Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua and the Fiji Times, describing vessel details passed to authorities

Fiji recorded identification details for 137 vessels of interest and reported them to the relevant agencies. If any of those leads turn into boardings, seizures or charges, the drone trials move from surveillance to enforcement.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1987–present

Pacific Patrol Boat Programme (1987–present)

Australia began supplying patrol boats to Pacific Island nations in the 1980s, extending the fleet through the current Guardian-class vessels. According to Minister Conroy, Australia now provides these boats to almost every Pacific nation under the Pacific Maritime Surveillance Program.

Then

Pacific states gained crewed patrol capability to police fisheries and smuggling waters they could not watch alone.

Now

Established Australia as the region's primary maritime security provider, a role the Bluebottle drone deal now extends to uncrewed platforms.

Why this matters now

The drone deal follows the same institutional pattern: Australia supplies maritime capability, Pacific nations operate it under their own command. Bluebottles add months-long endurance that crewed boats cannot match.

July 2026

China's South Pacific ballistic missile test (July 2026)

Hours after Australia and Fiji signed the Ocean of Peace Treaty, China conducted a ballistic missile test in the South Pacific. The test was widely read as signalling Beijing's opposition to the new defence pact.

Then

Raised the strategic stakes of the Australia-Fiji alliance and highlighted Pacific nations' position between two great powers.

Now

Set the backdrop for the Waqa Moana initiative, which pairs maritime security with the region's broader geopolitical competition.

Why this matters now

The drone deal is not purely about drug interdiction; it is also a capability transfer that bolsters Fiji's surveillance reach within a contested region.