The United States Coast Guard Cutter Walnut, arrived in Nuku'alofa on February 3 for a three-days visit to conduct a joint operation with the Tonga Defence Service in maritime enforcement authority.

A new agreement will place local law enforcement officials on US Coast Guard ships to protect fisheries and increase cooperation in maritime security.

Based in Honolulu, Hawaii, the 225 foot-Juniper Class Buoy ship, is on its first port call to Tonga following a Shiprider Agreement signed between Tonga and the US in August 2009 that allowed US Coast Guard cutters to embark a shiprider of the Tonga Defence in exercising Tongan enforcement authority.

Commander Jeffrey Randall said the primary purpose of their visit is to conduct the joint exercise with the Tonga Defense. In addition its 50-member crew would conduct community projects, from cleaning up the Nuku'alofa waterfront to delivering supplies to Vaiola Hospital.

Before the USCGC Walnut arrived in Tonga it had conducted several inspections of fishing vessels on the high seas to ensure compliance.

The Commander said the USCGC Walnut is a Sea Going Buoy tender whose primary responsibility is servicing service buoys and other aids in the Hawaiian Islands and US Pacific territories. Missions include search and rescue, domestic and international maritime law enforcement by seizing illegal vessels fishing in US waters, homeland defence and marine environmental protection.

Commissioned in 1999, Walnut is powered by two 3608 Caterpillar main diesel engines and has a 20 ton crane to lift navigational buoys on deck.

The Commander highlighted that Walnut was the first and only Juniper class cutter deployed in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2002-03.