An Air Force C-27J Spartan and its crew have played a key role in the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency’s first maritime surveillance operation of 2025, Operation Rai Balang, conducted under the broader Operation Solania framework.
Operating out of Bucholz Army Airfield, a United States Army airfield located on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), the ADF team worked alongside regional partners to patrol and protect Pacific fisheries, helping to detect and deter illegal fishing activity.
Detachment Commander Squadron Leader Nicholas Pound said supporting the operation was not only important for regional security, but also for the livelihoods of Marshallese communities who rely on healthy and sustainable fisheries.
“Illegal fishing directly impacts the food security and economic wellbeing of Pacific nations like the RMI,” Squadron Leader Pound said.
“Being part of Operation Rai Balang is about working together with our Pacific partners to safeguard these critical resources, ensuring future generations can continue to benefit from them.”
The Spartan’s ability to operate from Kwajalein Atoll provided a strategic advantage, allowing the crew to cover vast areas of ocean quickly and effectively.
Squadron Leader Pound highlighted the significance of being able to launch from Bucholz Army Airfield.
“The support from our American colleagues at the US Army Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll has been outstanding,” he said.
“They opened their base to us without hesitation, providing everything we needed to operate successfully. It’s a great example of international engagement working on multiple levels – between Australia, the Marshall Islands, the US, and the broader Pacific community.”
The deployment demonstrated the flexibility of the C-27J Spartan, an aircraft well suited for operations in remote locations and small airstrips across the Pacific.
Squadron Leader Pound said the operation highlighted how close collaboration between nations strengthened regional resilience.
“Partnerships like this highlight how Australia, the US, and our Pacific neighbours can come together to support a secure, stable and prosperous region,” he said.
“We’re grateful to the US Army for being such welcoming hosts, and proud to have contributed to an operation that delivers real outcomes for the people of the Marshall Islands and the Pacific.”
Colonel Andrew Morgan, Commander US Army Kwajalein Atoll and US Army Garrison – Kwajalein Atoll, said the mission demonstrated the strength of shared partnerships in the Pacific.
“We were proud to host our Australian friends at Bucholz Army Airfield,” Colonel Morgan said.
“Supporting operations like these shows how, together, we can achieve common goals for the security and prosperity of the region. It was a privilege to provide the ADF a base to operate from while helping our Marshallese partners.”
Operation Rai Balang is one of several maritime surveillance operations coordinated by the Forum Fisheries Agency each year, bringing together defence and law enforcement agencies to combat illegal fishing across the Pacific.
USNS Spartan (T-EPF-7), an Expeditionary Fast Transport vessel operated by Military Sealift Command, has supported fisheries patrol missions in the Marshall Islands as part of broader U.S. efforts to strengthen maritime security and combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Pacific.
Key Details:
- Mission: The Spartan has been involved in Operation Blue Pacific, a U.S. initiative to enhance regional maritime domain awareness and enforcement in partnership with Pacific Island nations.
- Role: The ship provides a platform for enforcement personnel (U.S. Coast Guard, Marshall Islands fisheries officers, or regional partners) to patrol and monitor fishing activities in the Marshall Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
- Capabilities:
- High-speed transport (up to 35+ knots) for rapid deployment.
- Ability to carry small boats (like RHIBs) for boarding operations.
- Supports surveillance and interdiction efforts against IUU fishing.
- Partnerships: Works with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and local authorities to enforce fishing regulations.
Why It Matters:
- The Marshall Islands faces challenges with foreign fishing fleets (often Chinese-flagged) operating illegally in its waters.
- U.S. support helps strengthen regional security and economic stability (fisheries are vital to the Marshall Islands’ economy).
- Part of a broader U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy to counter China’s influence in the Pacific.
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