Tonga

Kingdom of Tonga

The Kingdom of Tonga maintains a modest-sized armed force called Tonga Defense Services (TDS). They are known to conduct military exercises with the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and have several defense agreements with these nations.

The TDS has no national camouflage pattern of its own. Instead they wear an imported copy of the US M81 woodland camouflage pattern.

Camouflage Patterns worn by Tonga

• The standard camouflage pattern of the Tonga Defense Services is a variation of the US m81 woodland design, having black, brown & olive green woodland shapes on a tan background. Compared to the standard American made versions, the Tongan version appears a bit darker, with a more brown tinge to it.

• A small contingent of the Royal Tonga Marines served in Iraq alongside the US 1st Marine Expeditionary Forces (MEF) in 2004. This unit wore US surplus tricolor desert camouflage uniforms.

• Tongan Marines bound for Afghanistan have received specialized training in the United Kingdom. Before deploying the small contingent were issued the current British Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) camouflage uniforms. Its use seems to be gradually spreading to other units of the TDS.