Male: According to reports circulating on Sunday, the Maldives has procured surveillance drones from Turkey for the first time to monitor its extensive exclusive economic zone.
As per a report by the news portal Editon.mv, efforts are underway to establish a drone base in Noonu atoll Maafaru for the operation of these military drones acquired from Turkey to oversee the Maldives’ ocean territories.
In November, Mohamed Muizzu, upon assuming the presidency, made Turkey his inaugural foreign visit. During this visit, he explored various military technologies produced by Turkey and reached an agreement with a Turkish company to import military drones into the Maldives.
Although the specifics of the agreement have not been made public by the Maldivian government, reports suggest that surveillance drones, specifically the Baykar TB2 drones, were delivered on March 3.
President Muizzu had hinted at the intention to acquire surveillance drones during his return from China in January. Furthermore, on March 4, he announced plans to establish a round-the-clock monitoring system for Maldivian waters this month, aiming to ensure control over its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), despite its expansive size.
Reports from Adhadhu news portal indicate that earlier this year, amendments were made to the Import Duty Waiver Procedure by the President’s Office, granting the President discretion to waive import duties on items intended for use by security services. This amendment is speculated to facilitate the acquisition of military drones.
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