The government has signed an agreement with a Turkish company to purchase military drones to patrol the country’s waters, with USD 37 million (MVR 569.8 million) allocated from the state’s contingency budget.

Sources familiar with the transaction told Adhadhu on condition of anonymity that the government has finalized the decision and the Finance Ministry has now released part of the money to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).

Under the agreement signed by the Maldives government with a company that supplies drones to the Turkish military, the money will be paid in installments. According to the agreement, the payment for the transaction must be done within this year.

Following his visit to China, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu indicated that the government was looking to acquire such drones.

Speaking to reporters at the Velana International Airport (VIA) on January 13, Muizzu said that Maldives is not located in the backyard of any country.

"Even though our islands are small, we are a huge country with a very large exclusive economic zone of nine lakh square kilometers. Maldives is one country that holds the largest proportion of this ocean. This ocean is not the property of a specific country," he said indirectly referring to India.

"We have begun the work to build our power and our capacity to do continuous surveillance of the nine lakh square kilometer exclusive economic zone. Hopefully, soon we will establish our capacity to manage this vast area," he said.

Earlier this year, the President’s Office also amended the Import Duty Waiver Procedure to give the President the discretion to remove import duties on items for use by the security services. This is believed to be an amendment to the rules to facilitate the purchase of military drones.

The government, the Ministry of Finance and the MNDF could not be reached for comment.

While this is the first attempt to acquire military drones for the MNDF, the government has not revealed any information on the matter.

The decision to proceed with the transaction comes as efforts are underway for the removal of Indian troops from Maldives territory. The government has proposed to remove the Indian troops by March 15. They are currently in the Maldives for the operation and maintenance of two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft.

After acquiring the drones, the MNDF intends to monitor Maldivian waters 24 hours a day. However, it is not known how many drones are being acquired. A government official told Adhadhu that at least three drones will be acquired.

Turkey leads in drone manufacturing

Turkey, a NATO member, is one of the fastest-growing countries in the drone industry. The country's most proficient companies in the industry are Baykar Defense and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). Both companies are affiliated with the Turkish government.

TAI shares are held by a Turkish military foundation and a government agency responsible for procuring goods for the country's military. Baykar is also owned by a relative of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two companies supply most of the drones used in the Turkish military.

The Maldives government is expected to acquire drones that can fly at moderate altitudes for long periods. These types of drones are called "medium-altitude long-endurance" drones. The MNDF will use these drones mainly for patrol and search operations in the Maldivian waters.

Baykar Bayraktar

The most popular drones manufactured by Baykar are the Bayraktar TB2 drones. These are drones that have been practically involved in the battlefield and have proven their capabilities. These types of drones received the most attention because the Ukrainian military used them to target Russian military convoys.

A drone will cost USD 5 million.

According to websites and newspapers sharing military and defense information, the Bayraktar TB2 drones are in high demand. The reason is that the quality of this drone is reliable and it is not expensive. A drone will cost USD 5 million. A control station also costs about USD 5 million.

These drones are used by the militaries of 31 countries.

TAI Aksungur

The Turkish military currently uses TAI Aksungur drones for surveillance and maritime operations. The drones are designed to load weapons if needed. This is a drone that can be used for 12-hour continuous operations. It is a medium-altitude long-endurance drone.

The exact price of the drone is not clear.

The units that use these drones are involved in naval operations of the Turkish military and border patrol operations of the Kyrgyz border guards. Algeria and Angola will receive the drones in the near future while Indonesia has also signed a USD 300 million deal with TAI to buy military equipment, including its drones.

However, the exact price of the drone is not clear.