Navy trio work alongside Fiji in piloting uncrewed vessels
Three Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) specialists will work side-by-side with the Republic of Fijian Navy personnel this month piloting two uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) to monitor suspicious activity in Fiji’s waters.
31 July, 2025
Ensigns Cameron Trotter and Alex Rendle, both warfare officers, and Able Hydrographic Survey Operator Christopher Cornell, are part of a team from HMNZS Matataua introducing autonomous maritime technology to the Fiji Navy.
The three operators, using RNZN Bluebottles Tahi and Rua, will work with Fijian Navy personnel at Fiji’s new Maritime Essential Services Centre (MESC) in Suva to help identify and track vessels operating suspiciously in Fiji’s exclusive economic zone - including those potentially involved in narcotics trafficking.
The autonomous vessels are propelled and powered by sun, wind and wave action can conduct long-endurance operations without requiring refuelling or crew.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force No. 42 Squadron
The King Air 350 (KA350) is a light, twin engine, fixed wing, nine passenger, commuter aircraft. Our Air Force has four KA350s in its fleet, introduced as part of the Air Crew Training Capability project (ACTC). The KA350 has been modified for the NZDF to allow the transport for nine passengers, Air Warfare training and sensor suite training.
ENS Trotter, 22, from Nelson, says the monitoring will run for 24 hours in 12-hour shifts, with operators in Devonport handling the night-time shift.
The USVs are straightforward to handle, using a hand-held controller when launched for responsive close-in control, and then a mouse and keyboard in an operations room when the USV is in open water.
Operators are often from the warfare trade due to the ship handling and navigation skills taught, he says.
“I got the drone bug when I was 16, and I’ve always been interested in the whole uncrewed idea. I joined the Navy in 2023, and while I was training I heard about the USVs. I put my hand up to become an operator. It’s very new, but it’s becoming so relevant overseas. I wanted to get involved.”
ENS Rendle, 22, from Devonport in Auckland, graduated from the same class as Cameron.
“Seeing the Navy practically on my doorstep at Devonport Navy Base, watching them go in and out, drew me in. My father was a squadron leader in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and I’ve always been interested in Defence.”
He too was interested in this “up and coming” drone space in the Navy.
“There’s a lot of people interested in this. It’s the beginning of a new world for Navy and it’s amazing to be one of the people at the start of the journey.”
AHSO Cornell, 27, joined the Navy in 2022 and has been with HMNZS Matataua since his basic training.
Like Ensigns Trotter and Rendle, he got interested in the Defence Force while in high school in Christchurch, attending a Defence Experience Week at Burnham Military Camp.
He has posted to a variety of vessels for Pacific deployments before attending courses with the Bluebottle manufacturer in Australia to learn how to use them.
“I’ll be helping with the vessel launches and recoveries and working as an operator. It’s great to have Fijian sailors working alongside us not just because they know these waters so well but because they are getting the opportunity for hands-on experience with this new technology.”