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| Maldives National Defence Force | |
|---|---|
| ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޤައުމީ ދިފާއީ ބާރު (Dhivehi) | |
 Emblem | |
 Flag | |
| Motto | Defending & safeguarding the Maldivian state, territory, exclusive economic zone & the people, with pride, sense of responsibility & professionalism |
| Founded | 21 April 1892; 133 years ago (1892-04-21)[1] |
| Service branches | |
| Headquarters | Bandaara Koshi,Malé |
| Website | mndf |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Mohamed Muizzu |
| Minister of Defence | Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon |
| Chief of Defence Force | Major GeneralIbrahim Hilmy |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18–24[a] |
| Conscription | None |
| Active personnel | 9900+ |
| Reserve personnel | 7800+ |
| Deployed personnel | 2500+ |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | $138.8 million | MVR 2.14 billion (2025)[2] |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers |  India China Sri Lanka Turkey United States Germany Japan Saudi Arabia Malaysia Russia Iran Canada United Arab Emirates France United Kingdom European Union |
| Related articles | |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Maldives |
Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF;Dhivehi:ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޤައުމީ ދިފާއީ ބާރު,romanized: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Qaumee Dhifaaee Baaru) is thenational military responsible for defending thesecurity and sovereignty of theMaldives. It is primarily responsible per theconstitution to defend and protect the Republic, its territorial integrity, itsexclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the people.[3] Its branches include theMaldivian Coast Guard, theMNDF Marine Corps, andMNDF Air Corps.
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| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unmanned combat aerial vehicle | ||||||
| Bayraktar TB2 | Turkey | UCAV | 6[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] | |
Apart from the combat and maneuver forces, the MNDF also consists of:[11]
The ranking system of the MNDF is based on the traditional British military system and U.S. military system. The highest flag rank ever awarded was that oflieutenant general, in a non-military capacity to the previous Defence Minister Abdul Sattar, although the president being the commander in chief also holds the rank of general in a non-military capacity.[12]
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(Former Commandant, MNDF Service Corps)
(Former Commandant, MNDF Marine Corps)
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