Maldives to come under India’s security net
| DATE: 2009-08-16 | PRINT |
According to The Hindu and the Indian Express, Indian Defence Minister A. K. Antony will visit Maldives later this month to finalise military pacts to bring Maldives into its security net. The websites say that Antony will discuss the matter at length with senior officials of the Maldivian Government, clinching agreements to place India’s military assets including radars to provide surveillance cover to Maldives and to have Indian warships patrol its waters against possible terrorist attacks and sea pirates.
The Indian Defence Minister and senior Navy officers will be in Maldives from August 20 to 22 and share their experience of securing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands chain with their Maldivian counterparts.
Under the pacts, India is expected to base two of its helicopters in Maldives to enhance its surveillance cover and to quickly respond to emergencies in case of threats, The Hindu cites sources as saying, adding that Antony is likely to hand over the first helicopter from the Indian Coast Guard to Maldives during the visit and that the other helicopter from the Navy would be transferred to the island nation later. Maldives will also get coastal radars placed in all 26 atolls soon to keep a watch on all vessels and aircraft approaching the island nation. At present it has only two of its atolls with radar cover.
The Hindu further states that the Maldivian radar network would be linked to the Indian coastal radar system. After the Mumbai terror attacks, India has already embarked on a project to network all radars along its 7,500km long coastline. - HNS
| DATE: 2009-08-16 | PRINT |
According to The Hindu and the Indian Express, Indian Defence Minister A. K. Antony will visit Maldives later this month to finalise military pacts to bring Maldives into its security net. The websites say that Antony will discuss the matter at length with senior officials of the Maldivian Government, clinching agreements to place India’s military assets including radars to provide surveillance cover to Maldives and to have Indian warships patrol its waters against possible terrorist attacks and sea pirates.
The Indian Defence Minister and senior Navy officers will be in Maldives from August 20 to 22 and share their experience of securing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands chain with their Maldivian counterparts.
Under the pacts, India is expected to base two of its helicopters in Maldives to enhance its surveillance cover and to quickly respond to emergencies in case of threats, The Hindu cites sources as saying, adding that Antony is likely to hand over the first helicopter from the Indian Coast Guard to Maldives during the visit and that the other helicopter from the Navy would be transferred to the island nation later. Maldives will also get coastal radars placed in all 26 atolls soon to keep a watch on all vessels and aircraft approaching the island nation. At present it has only two of its atolls with radar cover.
The Hindu further states that the Maldivian radar network would be linked to the Indian coastal radar system. After the Mumbai terror attacks, India has already embarked on a project to network all radars along its 7,500km long coastline. - HNS
