Australia recently delivered a new landing craft vessel to Tonga to enhance the island nation’s humanitarian and disaster response and its ability to counter illegal maritime activities.
Crown Prince Tupouto‘a ‘Ulukalala, Tonga’s armed forces and foreign affairs minister, accepted the VOEA Late during an August 2025 ceremony at Masefield Naval Base.
The delivery highlights Australia’s commitment to supporting its Pacific partners’ maritime security, said Susan Bodell, first assistant secretary of the Australian Defence Department’s Pacific Division.
“Australia and Tonga share a trusted and enduring security partnership,” Bodell said. “The delivery of the new landing craft builds on decades of partnership, and upholds our shared commitment to sovereignty, security and prosperity in the Pacific.”
Australia also will provide maintenance for the vessel and train Tongan Sailors.
The delivery is part of the Pacific Maritime Security Program, Australia’s 30-year commitment to increase national and regional maritime security with 16 partner nations. The initiative includes:
- 24 new Guardian-class patrol boats, three landing craft and other maritime assets, including a small loan fleet.
- Maintenance and sustainment support, including infrastructure.
- Training through the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and commercial providers.
- Embedded RAN advisors to support safe operations.
- Aerial surveillance to enable targeted, intelligence-driven patrols to counter transnational crime.
Australia delivered the Guardian-class patrol boats VOEA Ngahau Koula and VOEA Ngahau Siliva to Tonga in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Thirty-six of Tonga’s 177 islands are inhabited, with 70% of the nation’s 108,000 residents living on the main island of Tongatapu.
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