News: Maldives Starts Maritime Surveillance With Bayraktar TB2 Drones

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has official inaugurated Air Corps in the national military that has commenced maritime surveillance with Bayraktar TB2 drones acquired from Turkey. The inaugurated took place in Maafaru International Airport on 15 March 2024. The Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) displayed 2 drones at the event and the third took off at presence of the president. This is a remarkable milestone in Maldives military history as it is the first time the national security force started using UAVs.



Despite being a small island nation the Maldives has an Exclusive Economic Zone that extends to over 350,000 sqm, it is about the same size as France. Earlier this year the president stated that Maldives would start 24 hour marine surveillance. Bayraktar TB2 drones can fly continuously for 27 hours without refueling and has a range of 300 km. Compared to other battle-tested drones the BT2 is significantly more cost-effective. Hence, it is likely to offer lower maintenance costs. The small footprint could be a sign a high fuel efficiency, making it the perfect solution to monitor vast maritime boundary of the Maldives.



The Command Centre is based in Maafaru International Airport (VRDA) in upper Noonu Atoll. From there the drone can reach entire northern parts of the while also reaching capital Male' as both are within the range of 300 miles.



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