MNDF launches southern surveillance operation using Turkiye‑donated ship and drones

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has launched a special surveillance operation in the Southern Special Economic Zone (SEZ) using a ship and drone donated by Turkiye.

The operation, which began on Wednesday, is being carried out using the MNDF Coast Guard missile ship Dharumavantha and drones operated by the MNDF Air Corps. It will cover an area of 200 nautical miles from the southern baseline.

The Dharumavantha was donated by the Turkish government last August, while the drones were also acquired from Turkiye.

The Ministry of Defense said the operation is part of efforts to protect and monitor the country’s maritime territory, following the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) decision to delimit disputed waters between Maldives and Mauritius.

The ministry reiterated that the full 200‑nautical‑mile zone defined under Maldivian law remains under the protection of the MNDF.