67-747: Operation Morris Dance was an Australian military operation conducted in May 1987 in response to the first of the 1987 Fijian coups d'état . On the morning of 14 May 1987 the Military of Fiji took control of the country in a bloodless coup d'état . In response to the coup, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) began preparations to evacuate Australian citizens from Fiji. Five Australian warships (HMA Ships Stalwart , Sydney , Parramatta , Success , and Tobruk ) were deployed to patrol south-west of Fiji. 'B' Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
134-533: A government of national unity, in which both parties would be represented under the leadership of the Governor-General. Fearing that the gains of the first coup were about to be lost, Rabuka staged a second coup on 25 September. Rabuka then declared Fiji a republic on 7 October 1987, abrogating the Constitution of Fiji and stating that he had removed the Governor-General from office, and declaring himself Head of
201-609: A half hours after Townsville radio stations had broadcast the Prime Minister's announcement that the ACG had been ordered to stand by. A squadron of the Special Air Service Regiment was also alerted for a possible deployment to Fiji, but did not leave Australia. On 21 May, the ACG was flown from RAAF Base Townsville to Norfolk Island , where it was to be transferred to Success and Tobruk . Four RAAF C-130s transported
268-610: A minority by 1994. In 2014, Rabuka admitted that Mara had told him to seize power before the coup, telling him during a golf game that "the only way to change the situation now is to throw this constitution out of the window". Adelaide-class frigate The Adelaide class of six guided missile frigates was constructed in Australia and the United States for service in the Royal Australian Navy . Two were later sold to
335-461: A report recommending a new unicameral legislature comprising 36 Fijians (28 elected and 8 appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs ), 22 Indo-Fijians , 8 General electors , 1 Rotuman , and up to four nominees of the Prime Minister. National constituencies , ethnically allocated and elected by universal suffrage, were to be abolished, and all voting was to be communal. The Prime Minister's post
402-502: A result of the lessons learned from Operation Morris Dance, but each of these ships could only move a platoon per lift. In June 2007, the Australian Government approved the purchase of two Canberra -class landing helicopter docks , each of which would be able to simultaneously operate six helicopters. 1987 Fijian coups d%27%C3%A9tat First coup succeeds, second coup fails: The Fijian coups d'état of 1987 resulted in
469-483: A section of ten masked, armed soldiers entered the Fijian House of Representatives and subdued the national legislature, which had gathered there for its morning session. Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka , dressed in civilian clothes, approached Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra from his position in the public gallery and ordered the members of parliament to leave the building. They did so without resisting. The coup
536-703: The Aegis combat system , starting around 2016. In April 2017, the Polish government officially expressed interest in purchasing two of the remaining three frigates when they are retired from service. Negotiations between the Australian and Polish Governments for the sale were unsuccessful. In January 2019 the Greek Government sent an expression of interest to the Department of Defence for Melbourne and Newcastle . In May 2019 it
603-677: The Chilean Navy . The Adelaide class was based on the United States Navy 's Oliver Hazard Perry -class frigates , but modified for Australian requirements. The first four vessels were built in the United States, and the final two were constructed in Australia . The first ship entered service in November 1980. Canberra and Adelaide were paid off in 2005 and 2008, respectively, and later sunk as dive wrecks . Their decommissioning offset
670-734: The FFG Upgrade , with the conversion of Newcastle underway at that point. There have been two major upgrades distinguishing the Adelaide class from the American Oliver Hazard Perry -class frigates. The first three ships were constructed to the Oliver Hazard Perry class' 'short' hull design (Flight I and II), with an identical length for both the main deck and the keel. Ships from FFG-36 onwards (including Darwin ) were built with an increase in overall length—achieved by angling
737-518: The New Zealand Special Air Service , on alert to evacuate its citizens from Fiji, and there was growing speculation in the Australian media about an Australian military intervention. Preparations for the evacuation of foreign nationals continued on 19 and 20 May. The Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) met on 20 May to consider the situation and evacuation options if they were necessary. The COSC determined that an evacuation coordinated by
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#1732884605363804-572: The Persian Gulf are fitted with two M2HB .50-calibre machine guns in Mini Typhoon mounts, installed on the aft corners of the hangar roof. Two TopLite EO directors are used with the guns. The Australian frigates were originally fitted with American Mark 46 ASW torpedoes , but by 2008, they had been replaced with the European MU90 Impact torpedo in three of the four frigates as part of
871-689: The Royal Australian Air Force 's 24 C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and the Navy's amphibious heavy lift ship HMAS Tobruk . On 14 May 1987, ten soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka , the RFMF's third in command, overthrew the Fijian Government. The coup was supported by most of the RFMF and the traditional Fijian chiefly hierarchy. While the Australian Government condemned
938-535: The Royal Fiji Military Forces . Both before and after Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1970, tensions between the indigenous Fijian and Indo-Fijian ethnic groups (comprising an estimated 46% and 49% of the 1987 population, respectively) continually manifested themselves in social and political unrest. The Fijian general election of April 1987 resulted in the replacement of
1005-415: The companies of the ships off Fiji could not provide sufficient personnel to co-ordinate an evacuation. He asked Gration to provide troops to bolster his strength, and this was authorised by Cabinet in a meeting held on 21 May. By this time, Australia had received requests from seven countries, including the United States and Japan, to evacuate their citizens from Fiji if required. Despite taking this step,
1072-511: The transom (the section between the fantail and the keel) to increase the area of the flight deck and allow the operation of Seahawk helicopters. Adelaide , Canberra , and Sydney were later upgraded to match the slightly larger ships, and were fitted with the updated sonars and ESM systems of the Flight III design. In the mid-1990s, Paul Keating 's Labor government decided to retain the Adelaide -class frigates instead of replacing them with
1139-560: The ADF force on the island began to be reduced, with Parramatta and the patrol boats Dubbo and Townsville (which had relieved sister ships Wollongong and Cessnock ) departing for Australia that day. Stalwart left Fiji on 30 May, and Sydney and Success followed on 3 June. The ACG returned with the ships, and was back in Townsville by 7 June. Operation Morris Dance was the first operational deployment of an Australian infantry unit since
1206-547: The ADF's requirements, was released in 1986. This report recommended that the ADF be focused on the defence of Australia but also have a modest ability to deploy forces within Australia's region in support of diplomatic interests and other countries military efforts. This recommendation was accepted by the Government and was incorporated into the Defence white paper released in 1987. The Army's main force suited to overseas deployments
1273-505: The Australian embassy in Suva using chartered civil aircraft was the preferred option, and that the readiness of the ODF was not to be changed. The reluctance to bring an infantry unit to a higher level of readiness was related to the political sensitivity of being seen to be preparing to intervene on the same day that Australian ships had been ordered to leave Fijian waters. The first formal orders for what
1340-534: The Australian government believed that it was unlikely that law and order would break down in Fiji, with Foreign Minister Gareth Evans telling the media that he thought that there was a 20 percent chance of this occurring. At no stage was it considered possible that the ODF would be involved with fighting against the RFMF, and it was assumed that the Fijian military would want to help assist the evacuation of foreign nationals from
1407-545: The Defence Force General Peter Gration and secretary of the Department of Defence Alan Woods returned to Canberra from a trip to Western Australia on 17 May they were briefed on the situation in Fiji and authorised the development of formal options for an evacuation. Headquarters ADF began work began on evacuation plans on 18 May. This planning resulted in maritime and air evacuation options based around
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#17328846053631474-494: The Fijian Governor-General's office ordered then to depart. Stalwart , Adelaide and Sydney subsequently cruised just outside Fiji's territorial waters. Planning for the evacuation of the 4,000 to 5,000 Australians estimated to be in Fiji was also conducted. At the time of the coup, the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) was the ODF battalion responsible for responding to emergencies. On 15 May
1541-492: The Interim Military Government. Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau resigned as Governor-General on 15 October, although he was made the first President of Fiji on 6 December 1987. Australia and New Zealand , the two nations with foremost political influence in the region, were somewhat disquieted by the event, but ultimately took no action to intervene. They did, however, establish a policy of non-recognition regarding
1608-539: The Mark 13 launcher. An 8-cell Mark 41 Vertical Launch System for Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile had also been installed forward of the Mark 13 launcher. The Phalanx CIWS was upgraded to Block 1B, and the torpedoes, missiles, and other ship-mounted weapons were upgraded to the latest versions. Canberra and Adelaide were decommissioned to offset the cost of upgrading the remaining four ships, with Canberra on 12 November 2005 and Adelaide on 19 January 2008. Canberra
1675-453: The ODF asked Land Headquarters whether it should bring the ACG to a higher level of readiness. In response, Land Headquarters directed that the ACG's readiness level not be changed to prevent rumours that the Australian Government was considering a military intervention. Staff officers at Headquarters Australian Defence Force met in secret on 16 May, however, to consider options for conducting an evacuation. When Defence Minister Beazley, Chief of
1742-427: The RFMF behaved brutally towards protesters, rioting, a bombing and arson. On 19 May, an Air New Zealand Boeing 747 aircraft was hijacked at Nadi International Airport for six hours, and Prime Minister Hawke reportedly considered deploying Australian special forces if requested by Fiji to rescue the aircraft's passengers. The New Zealand Government announced on 20 May that it had placed its military forces, notably
1809-525: The Vietnam War. Within a year of Operation Morris Dance, the Army determined that a capability to move at least a company group from ship to shore in a single helicopter lift was needed. To meet this requirement the Navy would need to be able to launch six helicopters, each carrying 20 soldiers, simultaneously from one or more ships. In the mid-1990s, two Kanimbla -class landing platform amphibious were acquired as
1876-401: The assumption that the RFMF and Fijian police would be cooperative. An option to deploy Australian troops to open routes to airports and ports was included, however, due to concerns that civil unrest could block the movement of foreign nationals. Over the next week, the Australian Government began to perceive that the situation in Fiji was deteriorating. Media reports highlighted incidents where
1943-743: The cancellation of the Australian light destroyer project in 1973, the British Type 42 destroyer and the American Oliver Hazard Perry -class frigate were identified as alternatives. Although the Type 42 met the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)'s requirements as a replacement for the cancelled light destroyers and the Daring -class destroyers , fitting the ship with the SM-1 missile would have been difficult. On
2010-405: The company group and its equipment that morning, though loading the aircraft took longer than expected due to a shortage of pallets and specialist loading staff. Once at Norfolk Island, the company group had to repack its equipment into smaller containers, as those originally used could not be carried by the Navy's Wessex helicopters. These helicopters transferred the Army force onto Tobruk during
2077-466: The cost of a A$ 1 billion weapons and equipment upgrade to the remaining four ships. As the Hobart -class air-warfare destroyers entered service beginning in 2016, the remaining Adelaide -class ships were progressively decommissioned beginning with Sydney in 2015. Darwin followed in 2017, and Newcastle and Melbourne went last in 2019. The final two were sold to Chile in 2020. Following
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2144-466: The country. 1 RAR was first instructed to prepare the ACG, which at the time was centred around B Company, on the morning of 21 May. That afternoon, the ACG was formally ordered to be ready to deploy at two hours notice. The under-strength company was reinforced by personnel from elsewhere in the battalion. The battalion's officers had been instructed to keep the potential deployment secret, and were not able to inform their men of it until 7 pm, one and
2211-516: The coup, the Governor-General commissioned a Constitution Review Committee, led by Sir John Falvey , to look at the "deficiencies" of Fiji's 1970 constitution. The commission was to begin hearings on 6 July and deliver its recommendations to the Governor-General by 31 July. Its terms of reference were to "strengthen the representation of indigenous Fijians , and in so doing bear in mind the best interests of other peoples in Fiji." The commission received 860 written and 120 oral submissions, and produced
2278-502: The first and last ships of the Flight II design, respectively. The final American-built ship was Darwin (FFG-44/FFG 04); constructed to the Flight III design. In 1980, two more ships ( Melbourne and Newcastle ) were ordered, but were built in Australia by AMECON of Williamstown, Victoria , and did not receive USN numbers. From the withdrawal of the Perth -class destroyers in 2001 until
2345-653: The frigate before she was sunk on 13 April 2011. Sydney entered port for the final time in February 2015, but remained commissioned as an alongside training ship until 7 November. In May 2017, having not received any offers to convert the hull for use as a dive wreck, Sydney was sold for scrap. Darwin arrived in Sydney for the last time on 1 November 2017, prior to her decommissioning ceremony on 9 December. The upgraded Adelaide -class frigates were replaced by three new Hobart -class air warfare destroyers, equipped with
2412-457: The immediate aftermath of the second coup, the United Nations denounced the coup, demanding that the former government be restored. The Commonwealth responded with Fiji's immediate expulsion from the association . Fiji's economy contracted by as much as 7.8% between 1987 and 1988, due to a major downturn in tourism and sugar production. A new constitution was ratified in 1990, in which
2479-478: The indigenous-led conservative government of Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara with a multi-ethnic Labour -led coalition supported mostly by the Indo-Fijian plurality and Rabuka claimed ethnic Fijian concerns of racial discrimination as his excuse for seizing power. Many authorities doubt the veracity of this, however, given existing constitutional guarantees. On the morning of 14 May, around 10 am,
2546-630: The introduction of the Hobart class in 2017, these ships were the RAN's primary air defence vessels, armed with a Mark 13 missile launcher for SM-2 missiles . They also have significant anti-surface capability, being armed with a 76-millimetre (3.0 in) Mk 75 gun and the Harpoon anti-ship missile (also fired by the Mark 13 launcher), and a pair of triple torpedo tubes for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). In addition, two S-70B Seahawk helicopters are carried. From 2005 onwards, all RAN frigates deploying to
2613-472: The military takeover, it quickly ruled out interfering in Fiji's political process. The Government also gave some consideration to facilitating the return of the RFMF units stationed in the Middle East to restore democracy under the leadership of the RFMF's commander, who was visiting Australia at the time. This option was rejected due to the military government's initial popularity and the risk of civil war. At
2680-677: The more expensive and more labour-intensive, but much more capable Kidd -class destroyers , that the USN was selling off. Upgrades to the Oliver Hazard Perry class were problematic, due to "little reserved space for growth (39 tons in the original design), and the inflexible, proprietary electronics of the time", such that the "US Navy gave up on the idea of upgrades to face new communications realities and advanced missile threats". The USN had decommissioned 25 "FFG-7 Short" ships via "bargain basement sales to allies or outright retirement, after an average of only 18 years of service". Keating's administration
2747-701: The naval vessels at or near Fiji and suspending aid to the RFMF provided under the Defence Cooperation Program. The naval vessels ships provided secure communications between the Australian High Commission in Suva and a means of evacuating Australian nationals if the situation worsened. While the Government did not believe that an evacuation would become necessary, the ship Stalwart docked at Suva and ships Adelaide and Sydney docked at Lautoka. They all remained docked after their diplomatic clearance expired on 18 May, leaving only on 20 May after
Operation Morris Dance - Misplaced Pages Continue
2814-464: The new government, suspending foreign aid in concert with the United States and the United Kingdom. The Australian labour movement, taking the ousting of a labour led government as an affront to the worldwide labour movement, instituted an embargo against shipments to Fiji. As Australia was Fiji's largest foreign trading partner, this resulted in a large diminution in Fiji's international trade. In
2881-502: The night, which was dangerous as they were not equipped for night flying. The soldiers were not familiar with the ship, and the process of unpacking and storing their equipment was also slow. After embarkation was complete, Success and Tobruk proceeded to Fiji, where they joined the RAN force off the island. At this point, Adelaide was withdrawn to attend a pre-planned exercise with the USS ; Midway carrier battle group . Stalwart
2948-616: The offices of President and Prime Minister , along with two-thirds of the Senate and a substantial majority of the House of Representatives, were reserved for indigenous Fijians. These racially discriminatory provisions were eventually overturned by a constitutional revision in 1997. Fiji became a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations in late 1997. The coups triggered much emigration by Indo-Fijians (particularly skilled workers ), making them
3015-511: The order of a fourth unit. These four ships were built by Todd Pacific Shipyards of Seattle , Washington, as part of the USN's shipbuilding program, and were assigned USN hull numbers during construction, which were replaced with RAN pennant numbers upon entering service. The first, HMAS Adelaide (USN hull number FFG-17, RAN pennant number FFG 01) was built to the Flight I design, while Canberra (FFG-18/FFG 02) and Sydney (FFG-35/FFG 03) were
3082-460: The other hand, the Oliver Hazard Perry class was still at the design stage; a design that was described by assessment project staff as "a second rate escort that falls short of the DDL [light destroyer] requirements on virtually every respect". Despite this, the Australian government approved the purchase of two US-built Oliver Hazard Perry -class ships in 1974. The risk of acquiring an unproven design
3149-485: The overthrow of the elected government of Fijian Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra , the deposition of Elizabeth II as Queen of Fiji , and in the declaration of a republic. The first coup d'état, in which Bavadra was deposed, took place on 14 May 1987; a second coup d'état on 25 September ended the monarchy, and was shortly followed by the proclamation of a republic on 10 October. Both military actions were led by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka , then third in command of
3216-509: The project, the preceding Labor government chose to maintain the frigates instead of replacing them with the Kidd -class destroyers in the early 1990s. By November 2008, Darwin ' s upgrade had been completed, while the problems experienced with Sydney had been rectified in both ships. It was planned to start deploying these warships to the Gulf in 2009. The RAN and Thales subsequently claimed that
3283-425: The public was urged to "remain calm and continue with their daily work." At the meeting, the Governor-General (who was Rabuka's paramount chief) gave a mild rebuke to Rabuka. He asked him "What have you done?" and "You mean I have no job?" He added that Rabuka should have given the deposed government more time. The meeting ended with Ratu Sir Penaia stating "Good luck, I hope you know what you are doing." Following
3350-466: The ships vulnerable to attack. The first ship refitted, HMAS Sydney , was initially not accepted back into service by the RAN because of the problems, these issues also prevented any refitted ship from serving in a combat zone. Australian Defence Association executives and serving navy personnel have blamed both political parties for the problems: while the Howard Liberal government was responsible for
3417-436: The ships' embarked helicopters: three became unserviceable during the operation, while a fourth crashed onto Tobruk 's deck. There were no injuries, which was fortunate as Gration had not deemed it necessary to include surgical personnel or equipment in the force, under the assumption that any evacuation would be unopposed. On 29 May, the Australian Government decided that the situation in Fiji had stabilised. Accordingly,
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#17328846053633484-425: The time of the coup an unusually large number of RAN warships were at or near Fiji on deployments which had been scheduled well in advance. The Adelaide -class frigates Adelaide and Sydney arrived at Lautoka and Suva respectively on 14 May. The Fremantle -class patrol boats Cessnock and Wollongong also arrived at Lautoka on 15 May. In addition, the RAN's flagship, the destroyer tender Stalwart
3551-516: The two upgraded ships were the "most capable ships in the history of the RAN", and that once the other two Adelaide s were upgraded, the navy would possess the "most lethal frigate fleet on earth". It was reported at the same time that other nations operating guided missile frigates, including the United States, Canada, Greece, and Turkey were considering similar upgrades. After the four surviving Adelaide -class ships were refitted, they were capable of firing SM-2MR and RGM-84 Harpoon missiles from
3618-509: The years after 1972 due to the stable international situation and the focus on the defence of Australia. While the deployments which took place provided useful experience for the units involved, they did not test the ADF's ability to conduct joint operations . During the mid-1980s, the Australian Government sought to clarify Australia's defence policy. The ' Dibb Report ', which had been commissioned by Minister for Defence Kim Beazley to provide information on priorities for defence planning and
3685-462: Was 600 miles to the north at Tuvalu and the River-class destroyer escort Parramatta was enroute for Pago Pago , American Samoa . Both these ships were diverted to patrol near Fiji's territorial waters. All these ships were maintained at or near Fiji to evacuate Australians if the situation worsened. For the first week after the coup, the Australia's military response was limited to maintaining
3752-580: Was added to this force on 23 May, with the soldiers being flown from Townsville to Norfolk Island and transferred by helicopter to Stalwart , Tobruk , Sydney and Success . The Australian task force remained off Fiji until 29 May, when the situation in the country had stabilised. In the years after the Vietnam War , Australia's defence policy shifted away from emphasising 'forward defence': countering potential threats as far from Australia as possible, typically through joint operations with allied forces. This
3819-525: Was an apparent success and had been accomplished without loss of life. At around 11 am, Radio Fiji announced the news of the military takeover. Rabuka was reported to have gone to Government House to see the Governor-General , Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau . He was seeking recognition of the military action and the overthrow of the Bavadra government. A caretaker government was to be named shortly, and
3886-550: Was granted permission to dock in Suva Harbour, and the Australian High Commission had begun registering Australians and other foreign nationals and designating safe havens for them to move to if order broke down. On 26 May, the ACG was transferred from Tobruk to other ships, as the heavy lift ship was needed to support the Pacific Forum meeting at Apia , Samoa. Troop movements were conducted in dangerous high-wind conditions using
3953-474: Was now designated Operation Morris Dance were issued on 20 May, when the Maritime Commander, Rear Admiral Peter Sinclair , was assigned full command over the operation. Army landing craft were then assigned to Tobruk , and signallers from 104th Signal Squadron Holsworthy assigned to Success . Tobruk and Success were both at port at Garden Island in Sydney. After taking command, Sinclair assessed that
4020-599: Was partly offset by the decommissioning of the two oldest units: Canberra being decommissioned in 2005 and Adelaide in 2008. Modification of each ship took place at Garden Island Dockyard, with Australian Defence Industries (ADI, now Thales Australia) selected as project leader for the upgrade phase of the project. By January 2008, the FFG Upgrade Project was running at least four years behind schedule. The frigates' anti-missile and anti-torpedo detection and defense systems could not be integrated as intended, leaving
4087-415: Was replaced by the ' Defence of Australia Policy ', which involved reorienting the military's capabilities to improve its ability for independent operations in Australia's immediate region. The guidance provided by the government was unclear, however, and retarded the development of an integrated ADF with the force structure needed to meet the Defence of Australia requirements. The ADF made few deployments in
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#17328846053634154-497: Was seen as acceptable because of the success of the United States Navy (USN)'s Charles F. Adams -class destroyer (of which the RAN operated three ships as the Perth class ), when compared to the equivalent British ships the RAN would have purchased. Final government approval to order two ships was granted in 1976, with a third ship ordered in 1977. The order was expanded in April 1980 with
4221-442: Was subsequently sunk as a dive wreck on 4 October 2009, 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) off Ocean Grove, Victoria , in 30 metres (98 ft) of water. Adelaide was converted into a dive wreck, but plans to scuttle her off Avoca Beach, New South Wales in April 2010 were postponed following protests by resident action groups and a tribunal hearing. The tribunal ordered the removal of wiring and paint from sections of
4288-487: Was succeeded by the Liberal government of John Howard , which commenced SEA 1390, also known as the FFG Upgrade Project. Originally costing A$ 1 billion, which eventually increased to A$ 1.46 billion, the project included improvements to the combat and fire control system, the sonar suite, and the air defence missiles. The upgrade was for four ships, and intended to expand their service life to approximately 2020. The project cost
4355-639: Was the Queen of Fiji , Elizabeth II. The Fijian Supreme Court ruled the May coup to be totally unconstitutional, and the Governor-General attempted to assert executive reserve power . He opened negotiations known as the Deuba Talks with both the deposed government and the Alliance Party , which most indigenous Fijians supported. These negotiations culminated in the Deuba Accord of 23 September 1987, which provided for
4422-567: Was the Operational Deployment Force (ODF), which was centred on the 3rd Brigade , based at Townsville . The ODF was required to be able to deploy an infantry company group (designated the Advance Company Group or ACG) within seven days, and the entire 3rd Brigade within 28 days. Responsibility for providing the rapid reaction force was rotated between the brigade's infantry battalions . The ADF's main transport assets were
4489-436: Was to be reserved for an indigenous Fijian. The Governor-General dissolved Parliament and granted amnesty to Rabuka, while promoting him to the position of commander of the Royal Fiji Military Forces. The actions of the Governor-General were viewed with suspicion by the deposed government and Bavadra challenged Ratu Sir Penaia 's decision in the Supreme Court of Fiji . From independence in 1970, Fiji's head of state
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