| 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 |
| Commandmant | Brigadier General Abdul Rauf |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
The MNDF Air Corps is the air arm of the Maldives National Defence Force.
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 | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAV | ||||||
| Bayraktar TB2 | Turkey | UCAV | 6 [4] | Bought from Turkey. [5] | ||
| Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı | Turkey | UCAV | 2 [4] | Bought from Turkey. [5] | ||
| Transport | ||||||
| Dornier 228 | Germany / India | Maritime patrol | 1 [6] | Gifted by India [7] [8] | ||
| Helicopters | ||||||
| HAL Dhruv | India | SAR / Utility | Mk.3 | 2 [9] | Gifted by India [10] | |
| 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) |
| 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] |
| Type 81 Tan-SAM | Japan | SAM | 7 |
| Shahin | Iran | SAM | 4 gifted by Iran |
| Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) | United States | SAM | 2 gifted by the US |
An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone, fighter drone or battlefield UAV, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance and carries aircraft ordnance such as missiles, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), and/or bombs in hardpoints for drone strikes. These drones are usually under real-time human control, with varying levels of autonomy. UCAVs are used for reconnaissance, attacking targets and returning to base; unlike kamikaze drones which are only made to explode on impact, or surveillance drones which are only for gathering intelligence.
The Bayraktar Mini UAV is a miniature UAV produced by the Turkish company Baykar.
PAF Base Murid, is an operational flying base of the Pakistan Air Force located near the village of Murid in the Chakwal District of Punjab. It houses the UCAV and UAV fleet of the PAF.
The Vestel Karayel is a surveillance, reconnaissance and later combat unmanned aerial vehicle system developed by Vestel Savunma later the company renamed as Lentatek. The drone is currently operated by Turkish Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia.
TAI Gözcü is a radio-controlled short-range tactical drone. Designed, developed and built by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is in use by the Turkish Armed Forces for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance purposes. Gözcü is the Turkish word for observer.
The Bayraktar UAV or Bayraktar UCAV is a family of unmanned aerial vehicles designed and manufactured by Turkish company Baykar. The UAVs were developed for the Turkish Armed Forces from 2004 until the present. Some models are designed for surveillance and reconnaissance only, others are capable of tactical ground-strike missions. Baykar is also developing drones to counter other aerial systems. The word bayraktar means flag-bearer in Turkish.
TCG Anadolu (L-400) is a drone-carrying amphibious assault ship of the Turkish Navy. It is named after the peninsula of Anatolia which forms the majority of the land mass of Turkey. The construction works began on 30 April 2016 at the shipyard of Sedef Shipbuilding Inc. in Istanbul, with the keel being laid on 7 February 2018. TCG Anadolu was commissioned with a ceremony on 10 April 2023.
Baykar is a private Turkish defence company specialising in UAVs, C4I and artificial intelligence.
Bayraktar Akıncı is a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) being manufactured by the Turkish defence company Baykar. The first three units entered service with the Turkish Armed Forces on 29 August 2021.
The TAI Aksungur is an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) built by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for the Turkish Armed Forces. Using existing technology from the TAI Anka series of drones, it is the manufacturer's largest drone with payload capacity for mission-specific equipment. It is intended to be used for long-term surveillance, signals intelligence, maritime patrol missions, or as an unmanned combat aerial vehicle. TAI planned to integrate weapon packages and put the Aksungur into production in early 2020. The first unit was delivered to the Turkish Naval Forces on 20 October 2021.
The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations. It is manufactured by the Turkish company Baykar Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., primarily for the Turkish Armed Forces. The aircraft are monitored and controlled by an aircrew in a ground control station, including weapons employment. The development of the UAV has been largely credited to Selçuk Bayraktar, a former MIT graduate student.
Mini Akıllı Mühimmat (MAM), meaning "smart micro munition" is a family of laser-guided and/or GPS/INS guided bombs produced by Turkish defence industry manufacturer Roketsan.
An unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle, is an unarmed military UAV that is used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR). Unlike unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), this type of system is not designed to carry aircraft ordnance such as missiles, ATGMs, or bombs for drone strikes. The main purpose is to provide battlefield intelligence. Small sized short-range man-portable unmanned aerial vehicles are called miniature UAV also used for battlefield intelligence.
Selçuk Bayraktar is a Turkish pilot, engineer and businessman. He is the chairman of the board and the chief technology officer of the Turkish technology company Baykar. He is also known as the architect of Turkey's first indigenous unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) Bayraktar TB2 and first unmanned fighter jet Bayraktar Kızılelma. Bayraktar is also the founding chairman of the Turkish Technology Team Foundation.
Lütfü Haluk Bayraktar is a Turkish engineer and executive. He is the CEO of Baykar, TÜBİTAK Board Member and founder and chairman of the board of Turkey Technology Team Foundation and SAHA Istanbul. He is a pioneer of Turkey for autonomous technology efforts which reshaped battlefields and geopolitics which resulted with a change of future warfare doctrines.
The Bayraktar Kızılelma is a single-engine, low-observable, carrier-capable, jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), currently in development by Turkish defense company Baykar. The aircraft is being developed as part of Project MIUS. The initial Bayraktar Kızılelma (Kızılelma-A) is subsonic. Planned variants are intended to be supersonic, the latter having a twin-engined configuration. It is one of the two Turkish jet-powered stealth UCAV along with TAI Anka-3.
The Baykar Bayraktar TB3 is a Turkish carrier-based medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) capable of short-range landing and take-off, produced by Baykar.
A drone carrier is a crewed or uncrewed ship equipped with a flight deck on which drones can take off and land. This ship can be civilian or military. In addition to drone carriers for unmanned aerial Vehicles, there are also others for unmanned underwater vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles.
Özdemir Bayraktar was a Turkish engineer and entrepreneur. He founded the Turkish private defense company Baykar and was its Chairman of the Board of Directors until his death in 2021. Bayraktar also contributed heavily to Turkey's UCAV industry, as a lead designer of the Baykar Bayraktar TB2 and the architect of the Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı.