Adhadhu has learnt that a shipment of weapons was purchased along with the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF)'s to be installed on the new Bayraktar TB2 drones to patrol the sea and airspace.
Adhadhu earlier reported that the new shipment had Bayraktar Akıncı drones. But it has now been confirmed that MNDF acquired three TB2 drones.
The number of weapons purchased by the MNDF is unknown. But according to one source, two or three containers of weapons were brought to Addu city. The TB2 drones can be equipped with four payloads.
One of the TB2 drones unveiled earlier was equipped with weapons.
Turkey's Baykar is not a weapons manufacturer. The company delivers drones to countries and usually provides weapons manufactured by other Turkish defense companies.
Turkey's Roketsan and Aselsan provide weapons for Baykar's drones. According to Baykar's website, TB2 drones are usually equipped with Roketsan's MAM-L and MAM-L munitions.
Roketsan's MAM-L and MAM-L munitions.
The drones and weapons arrived in the Maldives in three separate shipments on the night of October 15 and October 17.
MNDF began assembling and testing the drones yesterday. Some of its flights were tracked by flight radar.
The MNDF is developing a drone base at Gan International Airport in the southern Addu city.
Satellite images also show that a drone base is being developed in an area south of the runway of Gan Airport.
The government has instructed to make arrangements for the inauguration of the base during President Mohamed Muizzu's visit to Addu later this month.
The government has refused to disclose the cost of purchasing the drones.
