MNDF Air Corps has commenced operations tonight to surveil the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Maldives day and night, without interruptions.
The Air Corps will be operating three military drones for this purpose.
The three drones bought from Turkey were unveiled tonight by President and Commander-in-Chief of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Dr Mohamed Muizzu at a special ceremony held in Maafaru International Airport in Noonu Atoll.
The drones will be operated by dedicated officers trained in Turkey, established tonight as MNDF Air Corps.
MNDF revealed that the trainings commenced in January, with the first batch having returned to Maldives after completing the course. The second batch is also expected to return soon.
MNDF said that surveillance of the Maldives' ocean territory will henceforth be conducted by the Maldives Air Corps in collaboration with the Coast Guard.
The event also featured footage of the first flight of a drone launched to surveil the Maldives' EEZ.
The drones bought from Turkey are believed to be of the model Bayraktar TB2.
The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial craft capable of remote controlled or autonomous flight operations. They are able to fly at altitudes of 25,000 feet for over 27 hours. They are 6 meters long, with a wing span of 12 meters, and is about 700 kg in weight.
These drones are also built with the capability to support laser guided missiles. The payload capacity of the craft is 150 kg. These drones have been in production since 2014.
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