President Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) will acquire military aircraft next year.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the air station in Gan International Airport, Muizzu said the army has made progress in all areas.

"Hopefully this coming year will be more progressive. We have already decided to get military aircraft for the Air Corps," he said.

But he did not provide any details.

The government has increased its military expenditures, but keeps the details confidential due to "national security reasons."

The proposed state budget for 2026 includes MVR 2.8 billion for military spending. This is four percent of the total budget.

The government's biggest military expenditure so far is a USD 37 million (MVR 570 million) contract to buy six military drones from Turkey.

Next year's budget also includes a large expenditure on insurance for the drones. The government will spend MVR 99 million on private insurance next year.