Tongan Maritime Force
The Tongan patrol boat VOEA Savea (P203) underway in Sydney Harbour in 2013.
The Tongan Maritime Force is the naval arm of the Tonga Defence Services. The Pacific-class patrol craft were provided to Tonga by Australia as part of the Pacific Patrol Boat Program. The TDS' main base is Touliki Base, in Nuku'alofa.[1] As of September 2012, it has six vessels:
- VOEA Neiafu (P201) - Pacific-class patrol boat
- VOEA Pangai (P202) - Pacific-class patrol boat
- VOEA Savea (P203) - Pacific-class patrol boat
- VOEA Lomipeau (A301) - coastal tanker
- VOEA Late (C315) - LCM-8 type, logistic barge
- Titilupe - Royal Yacht
History
The TDS was founded on 10 March 1973 by King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, who also commissioned the first craft on that date.[1] The first craft was VOEA Ngahau Koula (P101), followed by VOEA Ngahau Siliva (P102) - the names mean Golden Arrow and Silver Arrow respectively.[1] They were manned by volunteers, but are no longer in service.[1]
Naval Aviation
There is also a Naval Aviation Wing based at Fuaʻamotu International Airport.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victa Airtourer |  New Zealand |
Maritime patrol | 1 | No longer in service | |
| Beechcraft G.18S |  USA |
Search and rescue | 1 | ||
| American Champion Citabria | USA |
Maritime patrol | 1 | ||
References
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, May 27, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.