The new building for the Coast Guard's Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) was inaugurated today.
The center was constructed with the aid of the Japanese government and was inaugurated today by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
The new building for the center in rescuing people and goods from dangerous incidents that occur out at sea had its foundation laid in 2022. However, the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) said the work was expedited as part of the President's pledge in doubling the Coast Guard's services.
Ambassador of Japan to Maldives Ishigami Rumiko and the Chief of Defense Force Major General Ibrahim Hilmy attended the inauguration ceremony.
While highlighting the close diplomatic relationship between Maldives and Japan, the Japanese Ambassador gave her assurance that they would continue to provide developmental aid.
Hilmy stated the center, which will see efforts in providing aid to marine vessels in distress at sea and saving lives, will be a great aid to these efforts.
The center has modern resources in coordinating maritime and airborne incidents, an operations room, and classrooms and an auditorium for providing training in developing the military's human resources.
The MNDF said that they received aid from the Australian government in the form of technical equipment and facilities necessary for the services the center would provide.
The MRCC's service initially started from Male' radio. However, due to an amendment that was brought about in 1998 to the maritime convention "Safety of Life at Sea" (SOLAS), which was initially signed and came into force in 1981, establishing a Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) was made a necessity. The GMDSS is a system that allows communication with vessels out at sea that are in distress.
The defensive powers at the time were in charge of the system and in 1998, the government decided to build a new building in 2003 at Vilimale' and began services in 2006.
The center's name was changed to the "Maritime Rescue Coordination Center" in 27th July 2012, in order to further strengthen search and rescue operations that take place in Maldivian waters and to coordinate all efforts under one roof.
MNDF said a total of 3,713 incidents had been reported to the MRCC over the last 10 years. MNDF also said their area command and the MRCC worked together on successful operations where they have saved the lives of 8,359 people from those incidents, along with marine vessels and goods as well.
