Turkey to donate TCG Volkan fast attack craft to Maldives

Turkey will donate a Dogan-class fast attack craft, TCG Volkan (P-343), to Maldives under a defense agreement between the two countries.

The vessel, currently being repaired at an Istanbul naval shipyard, is expected to arrive in Maldives by July. Turkish Defense Ministry officials say the agreement includes equipment and training support to enhance Maldives’ naval defense capabilities.

Training for Maldivian officers who will serve on board began in Turkey on April 7 and is set to conclude by May 9. Once the vessel arrives in Maldives, the Turkish navy will conduct two weeks of advanced training in Maldives.

The donation follows President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s official visit to Turkey on his first foreign trip after taking office where military cooperation was a key focus.

The vessel donation aligns with the administration’s broader efforts to strengthen Maldives’ defense position in Indian Ocean.

TCG Volkan, commissioned in 1981, was reclassified in 2024 as a test and training vessel. The Dogan-class ships, designed by Germany’s Lürssen Werft, were the first in the Turkish Navy to be fitted with harpoon missiles.