Fiji Military - 2022

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Military and security forces

Republic of Fiji Military Force (RFMF): Land Force Command, Maritime Command; Fiji Police Force (2022)

note: the RFMF is subordinate to the president as the commander-in-chief, while the Fiji Police Force reports to the the Ministry of Defense, National Security, and Policing

Military expenditures

1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

1.6% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $160 million)

1.6% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $160 million)

1.5% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $150 million)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 4,000 active personnel (2022)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the RFMF is lightly armed and equipped; Australia has provided patrol boats and a few armored personnel carriers; it also provides logistical support for RFMF regional or UN operations; in recent years, China has provided construction equipment and military vehicles (2021)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 55 (2022)

Military deployments

170 Egypt (MFO); 165 Iraq (UNAMI); 150 Golan Heights (UNDOF) (2022)

Military - note

the RFMF was established in 1920; it has a history of intervening in the country’s politics since the late 1980s, including coups in 1987 and 2006, and a mutiny in 2000

the RFMF also has a long tradition of participating in UN peacekeeping operations; since its first deployment of troops to South Lebanon in 1978 under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), it has deployed troops on nearly 20 additional UN missions

Fiji has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Fiji's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources
(2022)

NOTE: The information regarding Fiji on this page is re-published from the 2022 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Fiji 2022 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Fiji 2022 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.