His Majesty's Armed Forces (Tonga)

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His Majesty's Armed Forces
Coat of arms of the Tonga Defence Services.svg
Coat of arms of His Majesty's Armed Forces
Flag of the Tonga Defence Services.svg
Flag of the Armed Forces
Motto Terra Marique (Latin)
("Land and Sea")
Founded1939
Current form2013
Service branches Tongan Land Component
Maritime Force
Tongan Air Wing
Tongan Training Command
Tongan Support Unit
Headquarters Vilai Barracks, Nuku'alofa
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief HM King Tupou VI
Minister for HMAF Siaosi Sovaleni
Chief of Defense Staff Brigadier General Lord Fielakepa
Personnel
Military age18
Conscription None
Available for
military service
34,254 males, age 16-49 (2010 est.),
32,974 females, age 16-49 (2010 est.)
Fit for
military service
27,404 males, age 16-49 (2010 est.),
28,509 females, age 16-49 (2010 est.)
Reaching military
age annually
1,448 males (2010 est.),
1,392 females (2010 est.)
Active personnel500 [1]
Expenditure
Percent of GDP 0.9% GDP (2006 est.)
Related articles
Ranks Military ranks of Tonga

His Majesty's Armed Forces (HMAF) is the military of Tonga. It is composed of three operational components and two support elements (logistics and training groups).

Contents

The mission of HMAF is to: "Defend the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Tonga".

The HMAF is partially supported by defence co-operation agreements with Australia, the United States, China, India, and New Zealand. The co-operation aims at capacity development through training of HMAF personnel in leadership, academic and trades while support for infrastructure development is another part of the security co-operation.

Since 2001, members of HMAF have supported the coalition of the willing in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands.

History

TDF during the Italian capitulation parade. Tonga-Italian Capitulation Parade.jpg
TDF during the Italian capitulation parade.

The military history of Tonga extends from World War I to the present day, with Tonga participating in World War I, World War II, and the Afghan war, among other conflicts. [2]

Components

The main elements of HMAF are: [3] [4]

Tongan Maritime Force

The Tongan patrol boat VOEA Savea (P203) in Sydney Harbour, 2013. VOEA Savea (P203) - RAN-IFR 2013 D3 74.jpg
The Tongan patrol boat VOEA Savea (P203) in Sydney Harbour, 2013.

The Maritime Force is equipped with two Guardian-class patrol boats, a tanker, a Landing Craft Mechanised and a motor boat that is the royal yacht. [5] Tongan Maritime Force performs patrol missions, occasionally dealing with border violations, at the Minerva Reef and Tonga's restricted fishing zones. [2]

Royal Tongan Marines

The Royal Tongan Marine Infantry is organized as a single Battalion size group with a HQ and 3 Light Infantry Companies, based at Fua'amotu. [6]

Tongan Royal Guards

The Tongan Royal Guards are a company size unit that are responsible for the security of His Majesty. The Royal Guard maintains a musical unit known as the Tonga Royal Corps of Musicians that serves as a military band for different occasions.

Tongan Air Wing

On 4 May 1996 the Air Wing was created. A Beech 18 was taken into service. In 1999 a Citabria was obtained to help with training of the Beech 18. [7]

International Defence Organisations

The HMAF is a member of the following international defence organisations:

Tonga has an agreement to share "disaster response knowledge" with the United States Nevada National Guard. [8]

Ranks

The ranks used by His Majesty's Armed Forces are similar to those used in other Commonwealth armed forces. [9]


Commanders

Until 2013, commanders were called Commander of the Tongan Defence Services. After 2013, they are now called Chief of the Defence Staff of the HMAF. [10]

Equipment

Small arms

ModelImageOriginTypeCalibreNumberNotes
Handguns
Glock 17 Glock 17 (6825676904) bez fona.jpg Flag of Austria.svg AUT Pistol 9×19mm Parabellum
Bolt-action rifles
Lee Enfield No.4 SMLE No4 Mk1.jpg Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK Bolt-action rifle .303 Acquired from New Zealand; many remain unissued and in storage. [11]
Submachine guns
Uzi Uzi of the israeli armed forces.jpg Flag of Israel.svg ISR Sub-machine gun 9×19mm Parabellum
Assault rifles
FN FNC FNC IMG 1527.jpg Flag of Belgium (civil).svg BEL Assault rifle 5.56×45mm Standard service rifle of Tonga. [11]
IMI Galil Galil.jpg Flag of Israel.svg ISR Assault rifle 5.56×45mm Donated by Israel in 1988. [11]
M4A1 M4A1 ACOG.png Flag of the United States.svg USA Carbine rifle 5.56×45mm
Machine guns
M2 Browning PEO Browning M2E2 QCB (c1).jpg Flag of the United States.svg USA Heavy machine gun 12.7x99mm NATO

Vehicles

ModelImageOriginTypeNumberNotes
Wheeled vehicles
Unimog U1700 Australian Army Unimog truck with digital camouflage.JPG Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Military truck FiveFive donated by Australia in 2018. [12]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">His Majesty's Ship</span> Ship prefix used in the United Kingdom and some other monarchies

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal New Zealand Navy</span> Maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Standing Royal Navy deployments</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Lanka Navy</span> Naval component of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Tonga</span> Overview of and topical guide to Tonga

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Tonga:

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navy Command (Royal Navy)</span> Headquarters of the Royal Navy

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tongan Maritime Force</span> Military unit

The Tongan Maritime Force is the naval arm of His Majesty's Armed Forces of Tonga.

Guardian-class patrol boat Class of patrol vessels built by Australia for Pacific nations

The Guardian-class patrol boats are a class of small patrol vessels designed and built in Australia and provided to small South Pacific Ocean countries as part of the Australian Government's Pacific Maritime Security Program.

VOEA <i>Ngahau Koula</i> (P301) Ship built in 2019

VOEA Ngahau Koula (P301) is a Guardian-class patrol vessel designed and built for the Tonga Maritime Force by Australia. After the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea established that all maritime nation were entitled to exercise control over a 200-kilometre (120 mi) exclusive economic zone, Australia agreed to give small patrol boats to Tonga and eleven other neighbours in the Pacific Islands Forum.

VOEA <i>Pangai</i> Patrol vessel

VOEA Pangai (P202) was a Pacific Forum patrol vessel operated by Tonga.

VOEA <i>Ngahau Siliva</i> Tongan naval vessel

VOEA Ngahau Siliva (P302) is the second of Tonga's two Guardian-class patrol vessels. She is the eighth vessel of the 21 vessels in her class.

The military history of Tonga extends from World War I to the present day, with Tonga participating in World War I, World War II, and the Afghan war, among other conflicts.

The Tongan Air Wing is the aerial warfare arm of His Majesty's Armed Forces of Tonga. The Air Wing supports the surveillance of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and conducts search and rescue (SAR) operations.

The Royal Tongan Marines is the marine corps of the His Majesty's Armed Forces of Tonga. It is headquartered at Fuaʻamotu, with a headquarters and support company, as well as three light infantry companies.

The Tongan Land Force is the main land-based component of the His Majesty's Armed Forces of Tonga (HMAF). It is responsible for ground defence operations and includes various specialized units.

References

  1. "Tonga - His Majesty's Armed Forces".
  2. 1 2 "Name Change". Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  3. "HMAF Organisation". Tonga Ministry of Information & Communications. Archived from the original on 6 September 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  4. "Tonga Defence Services (His Majesty's Armed Forces)". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  5. Moore, John (1984). Jane's All The World's Fighting Ships. Jane's Publishing. p. 465. ISBN   0710607741.
  6. "Tonga - His Majesty's Armed Forces". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  7. "His Majesty's Armed Forces of Tonga – Aeroflight". 2016-05-02. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  8. Fournier, Dennis (May 2014). "State begins partnership with Kingdom of Tonga". National Guard. Vol. 68, no. 4. National Guard Association of the United States. p. 39. Archived from the original on 2014-06-06. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  9. Millen, P.G. (June 1983). The Visiting Forces (Relative Ranks) Regulations (PDF). Wellington: Government of New Zealand. p. 49. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  10. "Tonga Defence Services (Amendment) Act 2013" (PDF). paclii.org. p. 6. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 Capie, David (2004). Under the Gun: The Small Arms Challenge in the Pacific. Wellington: Victoria University Press. pp. 68–69. ISBN   978-0864734532.
  12. "Tongan Marines join Australian Forces in amphibious exercise". 15 June 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-02-10. Retrieved 2019-02-10.