 VOEA Savea (P203) | |
| General characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 162 ton |
| Length | 31.5 m (103 ft) |
VOEA Savea (P203) was a Pacific Forum patrol vessel operated by the Tongan Maritime Force from 1989 to April 2019. [1] [2]
Savea was replaced by VOEA Ngahau Koula in June 2019. [3]
When the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extended maritime nations' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to 200 kilometres (120 mi)}, Australia designed and built 22 patrol vessels for 12 of its fellow members of the Pacific Forum. [2] Australia provided the patrol vessel free of charge, and helped build port facilities and provide training. This allowed its neighbour to exercise sovereignty over their EEZ, intercept smugglers, and poaching fishers, and provide emergency services.
Australia will replace Savea and her two sister ships with two slightly larger and more capable vessels between 2019 and 2020. [4]
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. [5] [6]
In 1999 Savea carried scientists from the Ministry of Land, Survey, and Natural Resources to study a volcano that emerged from the ocean in early January 1999. [7] A newly emerged volcanic island was observed from the air on January 8, 1999 35 kilometres (22 mi) northwest of Tongatapu Island. When first observed the island was approximately 300 metres (980 ft) long, with a 100 metres (330 ft) cinder cone. The cone was visibly venting fumes. By the time Savea arrived the island had been washed away, but fumes were still venting from underwater vents.
On August 24, 2009, Savea was dispatched to rescue Santana, a yacht in distress. [8] She was proceeding with her captain and a single crew member. That crew member reported the captain fell overboard, and he did not know how to operate the vessel. In 2009, after 20 years of service, Savea returned to Australia for a major refit. [2] She underwent another refit in Australia, in October 2017. [9]
His Majesty's Armed Forces (HMAF) is the military of Tonga. It is composed of three operational components and two support elements.
The Minerva Reefs are a group of two submerged atolls located in the Pacific Ocean between Fiji, Niue and Tonga. The islands are the subject of a territorial dispute between Fiji and Tonga, and in addition were briefly claimed by American Libertarians as the centre of a micronation, the Republic of Minerva.
The Pacific class is a class of 22 patrol boats built by Australia and donated to twelve South Pacific countries. They were constructed between 1985 and 1997 and are operated by militaries, coast guards or police forces of twelve island nations. These boats are supported by the Pacific Patrol Boat Program and used primarily for maritime surveillance and fisheries protection.
The Tuvalu Police Force is the national Police force of Tuvalu, it is headquartered in Funafuti and includes a Maritime Surveillance Unit, Customs, Prisons and Immigration. Police officers wear British style uniforms.
The Tonga Royal Navy is the naval arm of His Majesty's Armed Forces of Tonga.
VOEA Ngahau Koula (P101) was the first ship of the Tongan Maritime Force. It was built in the United Kingdom, at Brooke Marine in Lowestoft, and was commissioned on 10 March 1973. The ship was one of several of the same aluminum-hulled class, which were used in ex-British colonies after they were granted independence. It was joined in 1976 by a sister ship, Ngahau Siliva, which incorporated several improvements to the design, most notable, the range was increased from 800 to 1000 miles.
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.
CIPPB Te Kukupa is a Pacific-class patrol boat, built by Australia and operated by the Cook Islands.
VOEA Neiafu (P201) was a Pacific Forum patrol vessel operated by Tonga since 1989. It was decommissioned in 2020.
Nafanua (04) is a Pacific Forum patrol vessel operated by Western Samoa's police. Like her 21 sister ships she was built in Australia. After the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas extended maritime nations' exclusive economic zones to 200 kilometres (110 nmi) Australia agreed to give its smaller neighbours in the Pacific Forum patrol vessels of their own, so they could police their own sovereignty. Nafanua is the ship Australia gave to Samoa.
VOEA Ngahau Koula may refer to the following ships
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.
PSS Remeliik II is a Guardian-glass patrol boat in the service of Palau's Division of Maritime Law Enforcement, built, and provided by Australia to replace the Pacific Forum patrol boat PSS Remeliik. In the late 1980s and early 1990s Australia helped its smaller neighbours, in the Pacific Forum by building small patrol boats so they could protect their own sovereignty. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), had extended an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) 200 kilometres (120 mi) off the shores of all maritime nations, and for small Island nations in the Pacific protecting their EEZ would be an overwhelming problem.
RSIPV Gizo (05) is a Guardian-class patrol boat in service with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Maritime Department. She was the fifth boat of her class to be completed. Australian officials officially handed her over to representatives of the Solomon Islands on 8 November 2019, at the Austal shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia.
RKS Teanoai (301) is a Pacific Forum-class patrol boat operated by the Republic of Kiribati Police. Teanoai is one of twenty-two small patrol vessels Australia designed and built for smaller fellow members of the Pacific Forum, after the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extended control of a 200-kilometre (108 nmi) exclusive economic zone for all maritime nations.
RFNS Savenaca (401) is a Guardian-class patrol boat, being built in Australia for Fiji's Navy. She will replace RFNS Kula, a Pacific Forum patrol vessel provided by Australia in 1994. She will be the seventh vessel of the class to be completed, and the second of two to be delivered to Fiji. She will be commissioned in March or April of 2020.
The Fijian Navy was created when Fiji ratified the recently created United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea. The Convention established that maritime nation had an Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 kilometres, which extended Fiji's waters twentyfold, from 50,000 square miles (130,000 km2) to over 1,000,000 square miles (2,600,000 km2).
VOEA Pangai (P202) was a Pacific Forum patrol vessel operated by Tonga.
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 VOEA Savea departed Masefield Navy Base for the last time on Saturday, April 13, sailing past the Nuku'alofa waterfront and Royal Palace on its way to Australia. It will be replaced by a new patrol boat named VOEA Ngahau Koula (Golden Arrow).
VOEA Ngahau Koula (Golden Arrow) replaces VOEA Savea, a Pacific Forum class patrol boat operated by the Tongan Maritime Force since the late 1980s. A second replacement vessel will follow in 2021. The new Guardian-class vessels are slightly larger, and more capable compared to Pacific Forum-class boats.
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.
Voea Savea is part of the tiny Tongan Maritime Force, which has a fleet of just half a dozen vessels and 130 sailors. The Voea Saveo has a crew of 14 to18 sailors, a speed of 20 knots, weighs 162 tonnes when fully loaded and is 31.5m long.
On 15 January a survey team, including two geologists from the Ministry of Land, Survey, and Natural Resources, inspected the island from the deck of the VOEA Savea, according to a report in the Tonga Chronicle. At that time the island had disappeared beneath the ocean surface, but the site was still emitting smoke and fumes.
The only surviving crew member has reported that Santana captain fell overboard three days ago. According to the interview by Savea of the crew man, he said that since did not know how to operate the yacht or the communication equipment onboard, he could not recover the captain. He said the Captain wore a life jacket.
On completion of the refit package, the boat was handed over to the crew under the command of Lieutenant Commander Semisi Tapueluelu for work-up on upgraded systems and preparations for passage back to Tonga.