By Ben Felton
Canberra
SOLOMON Islands has become the first recipient of Australian-supplied Guardian-class patrol boats to arm its vessels, with the delivery of FN Herstal M2-QCB 12.7mm (0.50 calibre) machine guns last month.
On 4 November Australian officials, including High Commissioner Rod Hilton and Defence Advisor Lieutenant Colonel Justin Bywater, handed over the weapons at a ceremony held in Honiara.
During the ceremony, Australia also officially handed over white ceremonial uniforms to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSPIF) Maritime Division.
This is a first for the Maritime Division, which has previously worn the standard RSPIF ceremonial uniform, and comes after the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare repeatedly raised the prospect of establishing a separate Solomon Islands Defence Force.
Australia also handed over eight new double-cabin land cruisers during the ceremony which will be used to support the Maritime Division’s fleet of small boats and craft.
Before the new machine guns were formally handed over, ADM understands, various elements of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) including the Indo-Pacific Centre for Military Law (IPCML) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Sea Training Group (STG) delivered comprehensive training around the use of force, rules of engagement and weapons non-proliferation.
While hardly “heavy weapons” by Australian standards, the new machine guns are the largest calibre weapons acquired by the RSPIF since it was re-armed in 2017. The RSPIF was stripped of its weapons in 2003 by the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission Solomon Islands (RAMSI) due to the role played by out-of-control RSPIF firearms in the preceding violence.
Despite this historical baggage, the RSPIF said in a statement that arming its two Guardian- class patrol boats, RSPIV Taro and Gizo, was critical to “enhancing” the country’s law-enforcement and border protection capabilities.
“Australia is committed to helping Solomon Islands meet current and emerging maritime security challenges and priorities, including illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing and transnational crime,” a Defence spokesperson said in response to ADM’s questions.
As well as Solomon Islands, both Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea intend to arm their Guardian-class vessels, however, it’s unclear what weapons they will be fitted with, or when.
Source: Australian Defence Magazine
