Tafakula Exercise 2015 in Tongatapu

Tafakula, a multi-national military exercise is being held in Tongatapu from Thursday August 27 to Saturday 11 September.

Lt Col Maama Misi, Exercise Director said today His Majesty’s Armed Forces (HMAF) is being joined by the United States Marines of the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, the New Zealand Defence and the French Army New Caledonia.

He said the bi-annual exercise is aimed not only to develop combat skills of individual soldiers but also enhance the inter-operability capabilities and operation readiness.

“This is important since this is a collective multi-national exercise for Tonga so that when we join regional or international operations in response to either man made or natural disasters we are ready and can work together with other militaries,” he said.

The first stage of the exercise is underway where the soliders go out to 11 communities including schools to carry out renovation and cleaning up works until Wednesday, 9 September. The second stage, the tactical field exercise will continue afterwards to end on Saturday morning, 11 September.

The Tafakula military exercise was initiated in 1985 with the objective of advancing the amphibious capability of HMAF.