MNDF Air Corps
| Air Corps | |
|---|---|
 MNDF Air Corps flag | |
| Active | 2024 — present |
| Country |  Maldives |
| Type | Air force |
| Part of | Maldives National Defence Force |
| Commanders | |
| Commandmant | Brigadier General Abdul Rauf |
The MNDF Air Corps are the combat forces in the air to protect the Maldives' exclusive economic zone.
History
[edit]On 15 March 2024, President Mohamed Muizzu inaugurated the MNDF Air Corps to protect the Maldives' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the airspace of the country.[1][2][3]
Aircraft
[edit]| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unmanned combat aerial vehicle | ||||||
| Bayraktar TB2 | Turkey | UCAV | 6[4] | Bought from Turkey.[5] | ||
| Transport | ||||||
| Dornier 228 | Germany/India | maritime patrol | 1[6] | Gifted by India[7][8] | ||
| Helicopters | ||||||
| HAL Dhruv | India | SAR / utility | Mk.3 | 2[9] | Gifted by India[10] | |
References
[edit]- ^ "MNDF Air Corps launched, surveillance ensured 24/7". PSM News. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
- ^ Mohamed, Mariyath (15 March 2024). "MNDF Air Corps established". The Edition. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
- ^ "President launches the MNDF Air Corps and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) into service". The President's Office. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
- ^ "Türkiye-ABD Savunma Ticareti Diyaloğu için anlaşma sağlandı" (in Turkish). 2024-03-09. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
- ^ "Maldives receives renowned Turkish drones amid India tensions". Daily Sabah. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "World Air Forces 2023". Flightglobal Insight. 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
- ^ Hadi, Ahmedulla Abdul (1 October 2020). "MNDF puts off disclosing info on Indian donated aircraft". Sun. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- ^ "India Hands Over Surveillance Aircraft to Maldives Amid Strategic Tussle with China". xairforces.com. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- ^ "HAL workers may replace military staff in Maldives". The Times of India. 9 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
- ^ Anandan, S. (14 December 2013). "India donates second naval Advanced Light Helicopter to Maldives". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 October 2024.