Maldives Receives First TB2 Drones from Turkey, Unveil in Public Ceremony

Defense News ,Maldives :-   Recently, the Defense Ministry of Maldives made a deal with Turkey to buy drones for watching over its special ocean areas. These drones have now arrived in Male, the capital city, according to a report by local news organization Adhadhu.

The report mentioned that the drones were first kept at Maafaru but were later moved to Haa Dhaal Hanimaadhoo.

Adhadhu also reported that the airport hangar at Maafaru was temporarily given to the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) to control the drones. This arrangement will last until August.

These drones, called Bayraktar TB2, are made by a Turkish company. They can fly at medium altitudes for a long time and are used for tasks like watching, gathering information, and doing reconnaissance. They can even be used for attacks.

Aviators Maldives, a group that follows defense news, shared a video showing the drones flying in Maafaru. The drones were being operated at Noonu Maafaru, an island in Maldives.

Earlier this year, when relations between India and Maldives were strained, reports came out saying that Maldives was going to buy drones from Turkey to watch over its special ocean areas.

Before this, India and Maldives used to work together to watch over this part of the Indian Ocean. But the new President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, has said that Maldives will handle its own security and monitoring.

This deal with Turkey for drones came shortly after Muizzu asked India to take back its soldiers from Maldives by March 15.

Under Muizzu's leadership, Maldives has become closer to China. Just recently, Maldives signed a defense agreement with China for military help. According to Muizzu, this deal means Maldives will get free military equipment and training from China, which will make the country stronger and more independent.

The military relationship between Maldives and China has gotten stronger since Muizzu said that after May 10, there won't be any Indian soldiers in Maldives, not even those in plain clothes.

A geostrategic expert named Brahma Chellaney criticized Maldives for moving away from India. He said India has helped Maldives a lot with defense, from training to giving helicopters and planes for rescue missions. He added that Maldives is moving closer to China even though it owes a lot of money to China.

Chellaney mentioned how, when Sri Lanka was in trouble economically in 2022, it was India, not China, that helped them. He said that like Sri Lanka, China owns most of Maldives' debt.