Adhadhu has learnt that the second shipment of new drones were expected to arrive at Gan International Airport in Addu city on Friday night.
Adhadhu understands that the second shipment arrived in Addu early on Friday night. The first shipment of the drones arrived on Wednesday night on an Ilyushin Il-76TD aircraft of Belarus' Ruby Star Airways.
The aircraft carrying the second shipment left Fujairah in the UAE on Friday.
Before it's first visit to the Maldives on Wednesday night, the aircraft travelled to Turkey for the first shipment of Turkish-made Bayraktar Akıncı drones.
The aircraft en route to Addu. -- Photo: Flight Radar
The drones were manufactured in a facility in Tekirdag. The first shipment was in three 20-foot containers. A team from Baykar will visit to assemble and test the drones.
The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) declined to disclose details of the drones.
But according to reports, they purchased three Bayraktar Akıncı drones and one ground control unit. They will be operated at a base in Addu.
The MNDF is developing a drone base at Gan Airport to operate the drones.
The government has instructed the army to make arrangements for the inauguration of the base during President Mohamed Muizzu's visit to Addu later this month. Muizzu is expected to arrive in Addu during the last 10 days of this month.
The government has refused to disclose the cost of purchasing the Bayraktar TB2 drones from the same company earlier.
According to credible sources, the drone deal was made for USD 37 million (MVR 570 million). The money was spent from the state contingency budget.
The government has not released details of the expenditure this time around, and has not released financial figures for the past month.
But on Friday night, former Ungoofaaru MP Mohamed Waheed said USD 90 million (MVR 1.8 billion) was spent on the drones this time.
