Indian troops in Maldives managing choppers, aircraft for its forces
India's military presence in the Maldives, now at the centre of a controversy, has been focused on managing two helicopters and a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft that were gifted to the island nation to conduct search and rescue operations and surveillance of its Exclusive Economic Zone.
The aerial assets, which are under direct control of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), have helped conduct more than 600 medical evacuations, search and rescue missions and medical team transfers in the past five years, often making the difference between life and death at the high seas, said people with knowledge of the matter. According to information shared by the Maldives government, the 77 Indian military personnel are either flying crew, technical staff, medical staff or trainers for the two advanced light helicopters and one Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft that operate under the MNDF, they said.
These include 24 personnel for one helicopter, 26 for the second, 25 for the Dornier and two additional personnel for general maintenance and engineering.
There is no presence of Indian combat troops on the island nation and the bulk of personnel are involved in operating the aerial assets and training MNDF personnel on the equipment and platforms, said the people.
While India helped set up a coastal radar network in the Maldives, providing 10 stations that are spread through the nation, the entire system is operated by Maldivian personnel, who were given specialist training.
India has for decades been the largest training partner for the MNDF as well, meeting more than 70% of the island nation's requirement of military training. Around 1,500 personnel have been trained in India in the past 10 years, with the
