Chief of the Defence Staff (Tonga)

{{Infobox official post

| post = Chief

| body = the Defence Staff

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| flag = Flag of the Tonga Defence Services.svg

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| image = Tupou Tongapoʻuli Aleamotuʻa.jpg

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| incumbent = Brigadier general Tupou Tongapoʻuli Aleamotuʻa

| acting =

| incumbentsince = 21 December 2014

| department = His Majesty's Armed Forces

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| member_of =

| reports_to = Minister for HMAF

| residence =

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| precursor =

| formation = 1977

| first = Fetuʻutolu Tupou

| last =

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| superseded_by =

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}}

The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the Tongan military. They are responsible for the administration and the operational control of the military.

Until 2013, commanders were called Commander of the Tongan Defence Services. In 2013, the title was changed to Chief of the Defence Staff of the HMAF.{{cite web |title=Tonga Defence Services (Amendment) Act 2013 |url=http://www.paclii.org/to/legis/num_act/tdsa2013280.pdf |website=paclii.org |access-date=26 September 2021 |page=6}}

List of officeholders

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! rowspan=2\| {{Abbr\|No.\|Number}} ! rowspan=2\| Portrait ! rowspan=2\| Name {{small\|(birth–death)}} ! colspan=3\| Term of office ! rowspan=2\| {{Abbr\|Ref.\|Refences}}
Took office ! Left office ! Time in office
style="background:#efefef;" \| colspan=7\| Commander of the Tongan Defence Services
1 \|File:Ambassador Fetu'utolu Tupou in Brussels (cropped).jpg \| Colonel Fetuʻutolu Tupou {{small\|(?–2005)}} \| 1977 \| 31 March 2000 \| {{age in years\|1977\|2000}} years \| {{cite web \|title=TDS Commander, Col. Fetu'utolu Tupou retires \|url=https://matangitonga.to/2000/03/20/tds-commander-col-fetu-utolu-tupou-retires \|website=Matangi Tonga Online \|access-date=11 September 2018 \|date=20 March 2000}}
2 \| 80px \| Brigadier general Tauʻaika ʻUtaʻatu {{small\|(born 1956)}} \| 31 March 2000 \| 5 November 2013 \| {{ayd\|2000\|03\|31\|2013\|11\|05}} \| {{cite web \|title=Brigadier General 'Uta'atu retires from HMAF \|url=https://matangitonga.to/2014/12/21/brigadier-general-utaatu-retires-hmaf \|website=Matangi Tonga Online \|publisher=Vava'u Press \|access-date=18 August 2018 \|date=21 December 2014 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224145855/http://matangitonga.to/2014/12/21/brigadier-general-utaatu-retires-hmaf \|archive-date=24 December 2016 \|url-status=live \|df=dmy-all }}
style="background:#efefef;" \| colspan=7\| Chief of the Defence Staff of the HMAF
2 \| 80px \| Brigadier general Tauʻaika ʻUtaʻatu {{small\|(born 1956)}} \| 5 November 2013 \| 21 December 2014 \| {{ayd\|2013\|11\|05\|2014\|12\|21}} \|
3 \| 80px \| Brigadier general Tupou Tongapoʻuli Aleamotuʻa {{small\|(born 1966)}} \| 21 December 2014 \| Incumbent \| {{ayd\|2014\|12\|21}} \| {{cite web \|title=Fielakepa title goes to HMAF Commander \|url=https://matangitonga.to/2015/04/10/fielakepa-title-goes-hmaf-commander \|website=Matangi Tonga Online \|access-date=11 September 2018 \|date=10 April 2015 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914185549/http://matangitonga.to/2015/04/10/fielakepa-title-goes-hmaf-commander \|archive-date=14 September 2016 \|url-status=live \|df=dmy-all }}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|No.|Number}}

! rowspan=2| Portrait

! rowspan=2| Name
{{small|(birth–death)}}

! colspan=3| Term of office

! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|Ref.|Refences}}

Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

style="background:#efefef;"

| colspan=7| Commander of the Tongan Defence Services

1

|File:Ambassador Fetu'utolu Tupou in Brussels (cropped).jpg

| Colonel
Fetuʻutolu Tupou
{{small|(?–2005)}}

| 1977

| 31 March 2000

| {{age in years|1977|2000}} years

| {{cite web |title=TDS Commander, Col. Fetu'utolu Tupou retires |url=https://matangitonga.to/2000/03/20/tds-commander-col-fetu-utolu-tupou-retires |website=Matangi Tonga Online |access-date=11 September 2018 |date=20 March 2000}}

2

| 80px

| Brigadier general
Tauʻaika ʻUtaʻatu
{{small|(born 1956)}}

| 31 March 2000

| 5 November 2013

| {{ayd|2000|03|31|2013|11|05}}

| {{cite web |title=Brigadier General 'Uta'atu retires from HMAF |url=https://matangitonga.to/2014/12/21/brigadier-general-utaatu-retires-hmaf |website=Matangi Tonga Online |publisher=Vava'u Press |access-date=18 August 2018 |date=21 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224145855/http://matangitonga.to/2014/12/21/brigadier-general-utaatu-retires-hmaf |archive-date=24 December 2016 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}

style="background:#efefef;"

| colspan=7| Chief of the Defence Staff of the HMAF

2

| 80px

| Brigadier general
Tauʻaika ʻUtaʻatu
{{small|(born 1956)}}

| 5 November 2013

| 21 December 2014

| {{ayd|2013|11|05|2014|12|21}}

|

3

| 80px

| Brigadier general
Tupou Tongapoʻuli Aleamotuʻa
{{small|(born 1966)}}

| 21 December 2014

| Incumbent

| {{ayd|2014|12|21}}

| {{cite web |title=Fielakepa title goes to HMAF Commander |url=https://matangitonga.to/2015/04/10/fielakepa-title-goes-hmaf-commander |website=Matangi Tonga Online |access-date=11 September 2018 |date=10 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914185549/http://matangitonga.to/2015/04/10/fielakepa-title-goes-hmaf-commander |archive-date=14 September 2016 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}

References

Category:Tongan military personnel

Tonga