Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) stated that Maldivians are being trained to pilot the two military helicopters.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Chief of Defence Force Major General Abdulla Shamaal said that currently the helicopters are being piloted by foreigners under the command of the MNDF.

The helicopters are mainly used for search and rescue and emergency evacuations of citizens.

In an earlier interview with the Indian media, Major General Shaamal said that he will ask for help from the Indian government to train Maldivians to pilot the helicopters. He added that the main obstacle is MNDF’s inability to retain experienced military pilots since their salaries are less than commercial pilots.

Some have expressed concern over the Indian military being given authority to handle the helicopter operations. However, MNDF assures that the operations are always conducted under Maldives command.