Three Royal Australian Navy ships and more than 600 ADF personnel to visit Tonga Featured
HMAS Melville
14 November, 2019. Three Royal Australian Navy ships and more than 600 Australian Defence Force personnel will sail into Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga later this week to continue the work of Joint Task Group 637.3 in support of the Australian Government’s Pacific Step Up and Australia’s enduring Defence Cooperation Program.
HMAS Ships Adelaide, Melville and Larrakia and embarked personnel will spend approximately five days in the country, working with His Majesty’s Armed Forces and locals to train and learn together while enhancing existing relationships.
Commander Joint Task Group 637.3, Colonel Kim Gilfillan, CSC said the Australians were looking forward to the port visit in Tonga.
“The ADF are pleased to be in Tonga again with a three-ship Task Unit and a significant number of embarked force personnel.
“Australia values our strong shared history and enduring security partnership with Tonga and His Majesty’s Armed Forces and we look forward to working with the HMAF while in country.
“There is much to be gained from further enhancing and deepening our existing relationships and people-to-people links, which we will strengthen through a number of engagement activities,” Colonel Gilfillan said.
The Australian High Commissioner Adrian Morrison said Adelaide’s return to Nuku’alofa, after visiting in 2018, demonstrated Australia’s commitment to strengthening the already strong defence relationship between Tonga and Australia.
“Defence ties between Australia and Tonga are a key component of our broader relationship and our Pacific Step Up. We are working with Tonga to support our mutual sovereignty, stability, security and prosperity,” Mr Morrison said.
The ADF’s arrival in Tonga comes after successful conduct of Operation RENDER SAFE in the Solomon Islands.
Australia and Tonga share a strong relationship based on shared virtues of security, peace and prosperity for all nations in the Pacific.
