Chief of Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Major General Abdulla Shamaal on Saturday affirmed that there are no plans to establish any foreign military headquarters in Maldives.
Shamaal made the statement in response to opposition political parties' allegations against the incumbent administration of attempting to lease land to the Indian army for them to establish a military base. Certain opposition groups have accused that it was the first phase taken by India to assert authority over Maldives.
The Chief of Defence clarified further that neither the administration nor the military forces want to give foreign countries the opportunity to build a military base in Maldives. However, he noted that there are plans to work internationally to enhance military capacity.
In response to speculations that Thilafalhu uninhabited island would be given for India to establish their military base, Shamaal revealed that there are plans to use a part of the territory to dock Coast Guard ships and for maintenance procedures.
He highlighted the importance of MNDF owning its own repair facilities, stating further that establishing such a facility would multiply the Coast Guard's capacity.
Coast Guard Commander Brigadier General Ali Zuhair articulated that there are many challenges to not having a location to dock its vessels. Included amongst these challenges, Zuhair identified that certain vessels need to be docked at reclaimed suburb Hulhumale.
"Our Coast Guard's vessels do not have a place to be docked. Our big ships are not being maintained in the most appropriate manner", said Zuhair.
According to Zuhair, certain vessels are beyond the harbouring capacity of Maldives' docks and thus difficulties are being faced in not being able to maintain and service them adequately.
Zuhair took the Coast Guard ship 'Ghaazee' as an example, stating that the naval ship was not operational for the past three years. Shamaal corroborated the statement, saying that 'Iskandhar' naval ship, the second largest speed boat, has not been operational since 2012.
Moreover, Zuhair declared that if a mechanism were set up to secure Maldives' oceanic territory, it would enhance the country's ability to monitor fishing zones. Further, he stated that work is underway to place tracking devices on all vessels.
He stated that this would make it easier for search and rescue boats to track down and aid vessels in cases of emergency. Furthermore, he revealed that the radars to be instated newly would cover a further 18 percent of Maldives' oceanic territory.
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