Tongan Maritime Force

Tongan Maritime Force
The Tongan patrol boat VOEA Savea underway in Sydney Harbour in 2013.
Active	10 March 1973
Country	Tonga
Type	Navy
Role	Direct fire Fire support Law enforcement Maritime interdiction Maritime patrol Maritime search and rescue Maritime security Military logistics Naval boarding Naval warfare Support amphibious warfare
Size	140 personnel [1]
Insignia
Naval ensign
Naval jack

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

History

The Tongan Maritime Force was founded on 10 March 1973 by King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, who also commissioned the first craft on that date. ^[2] The first craft commissioned were VOEA Ngahau Koula (P101) and VOEA Ngahau Siliva (P102), meaning Golden Arrow and Silver Arrow, respectively. ^[2] They were crewed by volunteers and are no longer in service. ^[2]

In subsequent years, additional vessels were added to the fleet, including:

• VOEA Savea: A Pacific-class patrol boat, commissioned in 1989, provided by Australia as part of the Pacific Patrol Boat Program. ^[2] It was decommissioned in 2019. ^[3]
• VOEA Pangai: A Pacific-class patrol boat, also part of the Pacific Patrol Boat Program, commissioned in 1990. ^[2] It was decommissioned in 2020. ^[4]
• VOEA Neiafu: Another Pacific-class patrol boat, also gifted by Australia, which was commissioned alongside VOEA Pangai. ^[2] It was decommissioned in 2020. ^[5]

These ships were vital for Tonga's maritime interdiction, maritime search and rescue, maritime security, naval warfare (as far as possible according to the capabilities of existing warships), support amphibious warfare, and law enforcement until they were decommissioned and replaced by the newer vessels, VOEA Ngahau Koula (P301) ^[3] and VOEA Ngahau Siliva (P302). ^[6]

List of craft

Decommissioned ships

The following ships have been decommissioned from active service:

	Type	Class	Origin	Displacement	Name	Pennant number	Commissioned	Decommissioned
	Patrol boat	Pacific class	Australia	162 tonnes	VOEA Neiafu	P201	Unknown	2020
	Patrol boat	Pacific class	Australia	162 tonnes	VOEA Pangai	P202	1990	2020
	Patrol boat	Pacific class	Australia	162 tonnes	VOEA Savea	P203	1989	2019
	Patrol boat	Unknown		Unknown	VOEA Ngahau Koula	P101	1973	Unknown
	Patrol boat	Unknown		Unknown	VOEA Ngahau Siliva	P102	1976	Unknown

Royal yacht

	Type	Class	Origin	Displacement	Name	Pennant number	Commissioned	Homeport
	Royal yacht				Titilupe			Touliki Base, Nukuʻalofa

Patrol Boat Flotilla

The Guardian-class patrol craft were provided to Tonga by Australia as part of the Pacific Patrol Boat Program. ^[2] As of September 2021 ^[update] , the Tongan Maritime Force has two patrol vessels:

	Type	Class	Origin	Displacement	Name	Pennant number	Commissioned	Homeport
	Patrol boat	Guardian class	Australia	325 tonnes	VOEA Ngahau Koula	P301	2019	Nukuʻalofa
	Patrol boat	Guardian class	Australia	325 tonnes	VOEA Ngahau Siliva	P302	2021	Nukuʻalofa

Logistic Support Flotilla

	Type	Class	Origin	Displacement	Name	Pennant number	Commissioned	Homeport
	Landing craft mechanized	LCM-8	Australia	113 tonnes	VOEA Late	C315		Nukuʻalofa

References

1. "His Majesty's Armed Forces Corporate Plan & Budget 2020–2023" (PDF). Government of Tonga. 16 April 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
2. Moore, John (1984). Jane's All The World's Fighting Ships. Jane's Publishing. p. 465. ISBN   0710607741.
3. "VOEA Savea's final voyage from Tonga". Matangi Tonga. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
4. "Navy farewells VOEA Pangai". Matangi Tonga. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
5. "VOEA Neiafu arrives in Australia". Loop Tonga. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
6. "King Tupou VI commissions new patrol boat". Matanga Tonga . Nuku'alofa, Tonga. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021. HM King Tupou VI commissioned the Tonga Navy's VOEA Ngahau Siliva patrol boat at the Masefield Base, Touliki, today.