Why does Vanuatu have no regular military?

Vanuatu does not maintain a regular military force. Following its independence in 1980, the country entered into a defense pact with Papua New Guinea to provide for its national security, effectively replacing the British and French forces that had previously defended the islands.123

While the nation lacks a traditional military, it does maintain a domestic paramilitary unit known as the Vanuatu Mobile Force, which operates under the country’s police force.1