MNDF Air Corps
 |
| Air Corps | |
|---|---|
 MNDF Air Corps flag | |
| Founded | 2024 |
| Country |  Maldives |
| Type | Air force |
| Part of | Maldives National Defence Force |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-In-Chief | President Mohamed Muizzu |
| Commandant | Brigadier General Abdul Rauf |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Baykar Bayraktar TB2 |
| Utility helicopter | HAL Dhruv |
| Transport | Dornier 228, ATR 72 |
The MNDF Air Corps is the air arm of the Maldives National Defence Force.
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]
The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) recently acquired the Baykar Bayraktar TB2 UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), a widely used drone originally developed by the Turkish defense company Baykar. The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV renowned for its versatility, particularly in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) roles, as well as its ability to conduct precision strikes.
Aircraft
[edit]| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAVs | ||||||
| Bayraktar TB2 | Turkey | UCAV | 6[4] | Bought from Turkey.[5] | ||
| Transport | ||||||
| Dornier 228 | Germany / India | Maritime patrol | 1[6] | Gifted and operated by India[7][8] | ||
| ATR 72MP | France | Maritime patrol | ATR 72-600 | 1 | Bought by ATR and modified by Italy | |
| Helicopters | ||||||
| HAL Dhruv | India | SAR / Utility | Mk.3 | 2[9] | Gifted and operated by India[10] | |
Radars
[edit]| Name | Origin | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selex RAT-31DL | Italy | AESA Air Search Radar | 2 installations[11] |
| 1L-117[12] | Russia | Air Search Radar | 2 installations[11] |
| AN/TPS-43 | United States | 3D Air Search Radar | 4 installations[11] |
| JH-16 | China | Air Search Radar | |
| JY-11B[13] | China | 3D Air Search Radar | |
| KRONOS LAND[14] | Italy | AESA Air Search Radar | 1 installation[11][15] |
| YLC-6[16] | China | Air Search Radar | |
| Plessey AR15 | United Kingdom | Air Search Radar | |
| RL-64I[17] | Czech Republic | S-Band Airport Surveillance Radar(ASR) |
Air defence
[edit]| Name | Origin | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAM | |||
| FM-90 | China | SAM | 14 batteries received[18] |
| FN-6 | China | MANPADS | 15[18] |
| QW-2 Vanguard 2 | China | MANPADS | 5[18] |
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.
- 1 2 3 4 Trade Registers Archived 14 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 23 December 2017
- ↑ "1L117 - Radartutorial". www.radartutorial.eu.
- ↑ "cmano-db.com". cmano-db.com.
- ↑ "KRONOS LAND". electronics.leonardo.com.
- ↑ "Bangladesh orders Leonardo's high-tech air surveillance radar". Leonardo S.p.A. (Press release). 29 October 2019. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ↑ "President inducts Air Defence Radar". The Independent. Dhaka. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ↑ "RL-64I - Radartutorial". www.radartutorial.eu.
- 1 2 3 International Institute for Strategic Studies (2020). "Chapter Six: Asia". The Military Balance. 120 (1): 254. doi:10.1080/04597222.2020.1707967. S2CID 219627149.