The Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF) is a small, mobile corps of 300 volunteers that makes up

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

's military. Its primary task is to assist the

Vanuatu Police Force The Vanuatu Police Force ( bi, Ni-Vanuatu Polis; VPF) is the national law enforcement of Vanuatu. The VPF is headquartered in Port Vila and has two specialised arms: a small para-military force, the Vanuatu Mobile Force, and a maritime force, the ...

. However, should Vanuatu be attacked, then the VMF will act as the first line of defence. In 1994, VMF deployed 50 people to

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

, as their first peacekeeping mission. Though the armed forces in Vanuatu have never overthrown a government, members of the VMF angry about their pay detained President

Jean-Marie Léyé Jean-Marie Léyé Lenelgau (1932 – 9 December 2014) was a Vanuatuan politician and the president of Vanuatu from 2 March 1994 to 2 March 1999. Biography In 1976, the nation of Vanuatu was the Franco-British New Hebrides Condominium. Léyé ...

and Deputy Prime Minister

Barak Sopé Barak Tame Sopé Mautamata (born 1951) is a ni-Vanuatu politician. He is the leader of the Melanesian Progressive Party and was, until 2008, a member of the Vanuatu parliament from the island of Efate. He was the Prime Minister of Vanuatu from 1 ...

on October 12, 1996 but released them just a few hours later.

List of commanders

Sato Kilman Meltek Sato Kilman Livtuvanu (born 30 December 1957) is a Vanuatuan politician. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu on four occasions, most recently from June 2015 to February 2016. Kilman was previously Prime Minister from December 2010 to April 20 ...

(1984 - 1986) * James Aru (? - ?) *Lieutenant Colonel Willie Vire (? - ?) *Lieutenant Colonel Job Esau (? - 2015) *Colonel

Robson Iavro Robson may refer to: People Surname *Robson (surname), a surname and list of people with that name Given name *Robson Bonnichsen (1940–2004), American anthropologist *Robson Green (born 1964), British actor * Róbson (footballer, born 1970), ...

(2015–present)

Equipment of Vanuatu Mobile Forces

Infantry weapons

References

Military of Vanuatu {{Vanuatu-stub