President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu issued a presidential decree on Monday, instructing the establishment and operationalization of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) Air Corps’ first air station.
According to the President’s Office, he exercised his powers under the Constitution and the Armed Forces Act to issue the decree.
The MNDF Air Corps was established in March 2024 via another decree by President Muizzu, in a move that his administration said was aimed at boosting the country’s capabilities to maintain the safety and security of its maritime territories and deter illegal activities.
With Monday’s decree, President Muizzu directed the MNDF Air Corps to establish and operationalize an air station to support airspace surveillance, monitoring of the Maldives’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and the execution of Air Corps operations.
The decree also mandates the implementation of 24/7 airspace surveillance over the EEZ to ensure the Air Corps effectively fulfils its operational and national security responsibilities.
The launch of the MNDF Air Corps on March 15, 2024 had also seen the introduction of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones procured from Turkiye.
Measuring 6.5 meters in length with 12-meter wings and weighing approximately 700 kilos, the ‘Bayraktar TB2’ drones have a communication range of up to 300 kilometers and a payload capacity of 150 kilograms.
Equipped with the most up-to-date technology, the drone can fly for 27 hours at a speed of 70 to 120 knots, and have an operational maximum altitude of 18,000 to 25,000 feet.
Capable of conducting surgical precision strikes, the drones are used by the MNDF Air Corps to assist in search and rescue operations.