Editing Papua New Guinea (section)

=== Military ===
The [[Papua New Guinea Defence Force]] is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Papua New Guinea. It consists of three wings.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mench |first=Paul |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mdwIAQAAIAAJ&q=Papua+New+Guinea+Defence+Force |title=The Role of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force |date=1975 |publisher=Australian National University |isbn=978-0-909150-10-5 |access-date=5 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407145129/https://books.google.com/books?id=mdwIAQAAIAAJ&q=Papua+New+Guinea+Defence+Force |archive-date=7 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=April 2025}} Its primary role is internal security, although it also patrols the border with Indonesia and the country's [[exclusive economic zone]].<ref name="May2004chapter10"/>{{rp|238–239}} The Land Element has seven units: the [[Royal Pacific Islands Regiment]], a special forces unit, a battalion of engineers, three other small units primarily dealing with signals and health, and a military academy. The Air Element consists of one aircraft squadron, which transports the other military wings. The Maritime Element consists of four {{sclass2|Pacific|patrol boat}}s, three ex-Australian {{sclass|Balikpapan|landing craft heavy|0}} [[landing craft]], and one {{sclass2|Guardian|patrol boat|2}}. One of the landing craft is used as a training ship. Three more Guardian-class patrol boats are under construction in Australia to replace the old Pacific-class vessels. The main tasks of the Maritime Element are to patrol inshore waters and to transport the Land Element. Because of its extensive coastline, Papua New Guinea has a very large [[exclusive economic zone]]. The Maritime Element relies heavily on satellite imagery to surveil the country's waters. Patrolling is generally ineffective because underfunding often leaves the patrol boats unserviceable. This problem will be partially corrected when the larger Guardian-class patrol boats enter service.