Days after 76 Indian defense personnel left the island nation at the request of Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Defense Minister Ghassan Maumoon, confessed that the Maldives military still lacked pilots qualified to fly three aircraft given by India.

During a press conference on Saturday at the President’s Office in this city, Ghassan Maumoon gave a briefing to the media regarding the departure of Indian military who were stationed in the Maldives to operate two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft and their replacement by Indian civilians.

In response to a query from a journalist, Ghassan Maumoon stated that although some soldiers had started training to fly the three aircraft donated by the Indian military under agreements made by earlier governments, there were no Maldivian soldiers in the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) who were qualified to fly them.

“Due to a variety of factors, our men had not finished the training, which involved passing multiple levels. Consequently, no one in our force at this time possesses a license or is completely qualified to operate the two helicopters and the Dornier planes,” the news outlet Adhadhu.com cited Ghassan Maumoon as saying.

Muizzu, a pro-China politician, demanded that all Indian military personnel operating the three aviation sites in the island nation leave by May 10. It put a significant strain on relations between the two countries.
India has already taken out 76 armed forces members. Nonetheless, a Maldivian media source stated that the Maldives government had no plans to remove the Indian doctors working at Senahiya Military Hospital.

The Adhadhu.com report pointed out that, in contrast to Ghassan Maumoon’s statements, key officials of the current administration criticized the former government and asserted that the MNDF had competent pilots during their five years in the opposition.
The primary purpose of the helicopters supplied by former presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Abdulla Yameen and the Dornier planes sent by former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was to train Maldivians, the statement stated.
Foreign Minister Zameer stated on Saturday that training provisions for local pilots were included in the deal to replace the Indian army with civilians despite the fact that the training has not been completed to date.