Tongan Maritime Force

The Tongan patrol boat VOEA Savea underway in Sydney Harbour in 2013.

Active| 10 March 1973
Country|  Tonga
Type| Navy
Role| Naval warfare
Size| 140 personnel[1]
Insignia
Naval Ensign|

Military unit

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

## History

[edit]

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 security 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

[edit]

### Decommissioned ships

[edit]

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

[edit]

| Type  | Class  | Origin  | Displacement | Name  | Pennant number | Commissioned | Homeport

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| Royal yacht |  |  |  | Titilupe |  |  | Touliki Base, Nukuʻalofa

### Patrol Boat Flotilla

[edit]

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

[edit]

| Type  | Class  | Origin  | Displacement | Name  | Pennant number | Commissioned | Homeport

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| Landing craft mechanized | LCM-8 |  Australia | 113
tonnes  | VOEA Late | C315  |  | Nukuʻalofa

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "His Majesty's Armed Forces Corporate Plan & Budget 2020–2023" (PDF). Government of Tonga. 16 April 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
2. ^ a b c d e f g Moore, John (1984). Jane's All The World's Fighting Ships. Jane's Publishing. p. 465\. ISBN 0710607741.
3. ^ a b "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."

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* t
* e

His Majesty's Armed Forces (Tonga)

* Tongan Land Force
* Tongan Maritime Force
* Tongan Air Wing

Leadership|

* Commander-in-Chief
* Chief of the Defence Staff

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