 Sister ship VOEA Neiafu in 2016 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Tonga | |
| Name | Pangai |
| Commissioned | June 1990 |
| Decommissioned | 23 April 2020 |
| Refit | February 2009 |
| Status | Awaiting scrapping |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Pacific Forum-class patrol boat |
| Displacement | 162 tons |
| Length | 103 ft (31 m) |
VOEA Pangai (P202) was a Pacific Forum patrol vessel operated by Tonga. [1]
When the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extended maritimes nations' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to 200 kilometres (110 nmi), Australia designed and built 22 patrol vessels for 12 of its fellow members of the Pacific Forum. [1] [2] Australia provided the patrol vessels free of charge, and helped build port facilities and provide training. This allowed its neighbours to exercise sovereignty over their EEZ, intercept smugglers, poaching fishers, and provide emergency services.
Australia is replacing Pangai and her two sister ships with two larger and more capable Guardian-class patrol vessels. [3]
The 31.5-metre (103 ft) vessels displace 162 tonnes, and are built using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment, instead of more expensive, high-performance, military-grade equipment, to ease the maintenance burden, since local maintenance will be performed in small, isolated shipyards. [4]
Pangai was assigned to a peacekeeping mission in Bougainville, in 1994. [5] Tonga's King Tupou VI served in the Navy when he was a prince, and he was Pangai's first commanding officer. [6] He was the commanding officer in 1994, during the peacekeeping mission. [7] In 2009, after 20 years of service, Pangai returned to Australia for a major refit. [1]
Pangai provided disaster assistance, following a 2009 tsunami, to Niuafo’ou, and following Tropical Cyclone Winston, in Fiji, in 2016. [5] In 2016 Pangai participated in a joint exercise with vessels of other nations. [8] In January 2015 Pangai carried volcanologists to study ash eruption from a new volcanic island that surfaced between the islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai. [9]
In 2017 Pangai found, and rescued, six lost fishermen. [10] Pangai was decommissioned on April 23, 2020, prior to her last voyage to Australia, to be scrapped. [5] [7] Australia has already sent one larger and more capable patrol vessel, VOEA Ngahau Koula, to replace Pangai and her sister ships, VOEA Neiafu and VOEA Savea. A second Guardian-class patrol vessel will complete the replacement program.
Located in Oceania, Tonga is a small archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, directly south of Samoa and about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. It has 169 islands, 36 of them inhabited, which are in three main groups – Vavaʻu, Haʻapai, and Tongatapu – and cover an 800-kilometre (500-mile)-long north–south line. The total size is just 747 km2 (288 sq mi). Due to the spread out islands it has the 40th largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 659,558 km2 (254,657 sq mi).
His Majesty's Armed Forces (HMAF) is the military of Tonga. It is composed of three operational components and two support elements.
Nukuʻalofa is the capital and largest city of Tonga. It is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the country's southernmost island group.
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV was the King of Tonga, from the death of his mother, Queen Sālote Tupou III, in 1965 until his own death in 2006.
Tupou VI is King of Tonga. He is the younger brother and successor of the late King George Tupou V. He was officially confirmed by his brother on 27 September 2006 as the heir presumptive to the Throne of Tonga, as his brother had no legitimate children. He served as Prime Minister of Tonga from 2000 to 2006 and as Tonga's High Commissioner to Australia, and resided in Canberra from 2008 until the death of King George Tupou V on 18 March 2012, when he became King of Tonga, with the regnal name Tupou VI.
George Tupou V was the King of Tonga from the death of his father Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV in 2006 until his own death six years later.
Feleti Vakaʻuta Sevele, Lord Sevele of Vailahi was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga from 30 March 2006 to 22 December 2010.
Kolonga is a village and the most populated settlement located on the northeast coast of Tongatapu in the Hahake District, Kingdom of Tonga. Kolonga is a hereditary estate of Lord Nuku.
Aleamotuʻa was the 18th Tu'i Kanokupolu of Tonga, the third lineage of Tongan Kings with the political and military power who ruled in support of the Tu'i Tonga.
Japan and Tonga have maintained official diplomatic relations since July 1970. Japan is Tonga's leading donor in the field of technical aid. The Japanese government describes its relations with Tonga as "excellent", and states that "the Imperial family of Japan and the Royal family of Tonga have developed a cordial and personal relationship over the years". Japan is one of only four countries to have an embassy in Nuku'alofa, whilst Tonga has an embassy in Tokyo.
William Clive Edwards OBE is a Tongan barrister and politician who formerly served as a Cabinet Minister and Acting Deputy Prime Minister. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party.
Halaevalu Mata'aho ʻAhomeʻe was Queen of Tonga from 1965 to 2006, as the wife of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV. She was the mother of King George Tupou V and the current King of Tonga, Tupou VI.
The Tonga Royal Navy is the naval arm of His Majesty's Armed Forces of Tonga.
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.
RFNS Kula (201) is a Pacific Forum patrol boat operated by Fiji. She was designed and built by Australia. Australia agreed to provide twenty-two patrol boats to twelve of its neighbours and fellow members of the Pacific Forum, after the recently concluded United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extended maritime nations' exclusive economic zone to 200 kilometres (110 nmi). Australia provided two other patrol vessels to Fiji, Kikau and Kiro. Australia also provided training and infrastructure.
VOEA Neiafu (P201) was a Pacific Forum patrol vessel operated by Tonga since 1989. It was decommissioned in 2020.
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 Savea (P203) was a Pacific Forum patrol vessel operated by the Tongan Maritime Force from 1989 to April 2019.
The South Pacific Peacekeeping Force (SPPKF) was an Australian-led peacekeeping force established during the Bougainville Civil War. Hastily established to provide security for peace talks around Arawa, the force consisted of an infantry security force, supported by various logistic and aviation assets, which were deployed and air and sea from Australia. Troops were drawn from Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Vanuatu and Fiji. The force was deployed between 4 and 21 October 1994 before being withdrawn. Further peacekeeping troops were deployed to the island in 1997 as part of the Truce Monitoring Group.
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.
According to Component Commander of the Navy, Commander Haisi Fonohema, Tonga will receive the 2 new patrol boats by 2019-2020.
The 31.5-metre PPBs are built to a commercial standard and are used by Pacific nations for maritime surveillance and response, in particular fisheries patrols.
The VOEA Pangai served on various assignments including peacekeeping missions in Bougainville in 1994, assistance to Niuafo'ou in 2009 following a tsunami, and support to Fiji in 2016 after Tropical Cyclone Winston.
Her commissioning Commanding Officer was then His Royal Highness Lieutenant Commander 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, now His Majesty King Tupou VI.
He adds, the VOEA PANGAI was used to assist operations of the Pacific in Tuvalu in which HM King Tupou VI was a Lieutenant Commander in the Tongan Navy – while he was Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata at the time. He then became the first Commanding Officer of the VOEA PANGAI. His time in charge, according to Commander Tuita included peacekeeping operation in Bougainville in 1994.
The survey team, including two volcanologists from GNS-Science in New Zealand, visited the site, located on a NNW bearing 65km from Vuna Wharf, on January 17, on board the VOEA Pangai. The site observation was sponsored by the New Zealand High Commission.
The HMAF V.O.E.A Pangai was deployed with three Police Officers from the Search and Rescue Unit at 10:30pm to pick up and rescued the fishermen. They located the fishermen at 6:30am this morning Friday 26 May and they returned with them to Nuku'alofa at 11:00am.