Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF; ) is the national military responsible for defending the

security Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercion). Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be persons and social groups, objects and institutions, ecosystems, or any other entity or ...

and sovereignty of the

Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...

. It is primarily responsible per the

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

to defend and protect the Republic, its territorial integrity, its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the people. Its branches include the

Maldivian Coast Guard The Maldivian Coast Guard is the naval or maritime arm of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). Because the Maldives does not have a navy, the MNDF Coast Guard functions as the armed maritime force of the nation with a charter to contribute ...

, the

MNDF Marine Corps The MNDF Marine Corps are frontline ground combat force of the Maldives National Defence Force Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF; ) is the military, national military responsible for defending the national security, security and sovere ...

, and

MNDF Air Corps The MNDF Air Corps is the air arm of the Maldives National Defence Force. History On 15 March 2024, President Mohamed Muizzu inaugurated the MNDF Air Corps to protect the Maldives' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the airspace of the country. ...

Organizational structure

Combat and maneuver forces

Coast Guard

Marine Corps

Air Corps

Equipment

Small Arms

Browning Hi-Power The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, semi-automatic pistol available in the 9×19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W calibers. It was based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at FN Herstal. ...

M1911 pistol The Colt M1911 (also known as 1911, Colt 1911, Colt .45, or Colt Government in the case of Colt-produced models) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered primarily for the .45 ACP cartridge. History Early histo ...

* MP5 *

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kala ...

AK-103 The AK-103 is an assault rifle designed by Russian small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov. History The AK-103 was officially offered for export on March 13, 1993. Design details It is an AK-100 derivative of the AK-74M that is chambered ...

* M16A1/M16A2 *

FN FAL The FAL (, English: Light Automatic Rifle) is a battle rifle designed in Belgium by Dieudonné Saive and manufactured by FN Herstal and others since 1953. During the Cold War the FAL was adopted by many countries of the NATO, North Atlantic Trea ...

M24 sniper weapon system The M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) or M24 is the military and police version of the Remington Model 700 rifle, ''M24'' being the model name assigned by the United States Army after adoption as their standard sniper rifle in 1988. The M24 is ref ...

FN MAG The FN MAG (, , ) is a Belgian 7.62 mm calibre, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, Fabrique Nationale (FN) by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries and it h ...

PK machine gun The PK (, transliterated as ''Pulemyot Kalashnikova'', or "Kalashnikov's machine gun"), is a belt-fed general-purpose machine gun, chambered for the 7.62×54mmR rimmed cartridge. The modernized and most commonly known variant, known as the PKM ...

PKP machine gun The PKP Pecheneg (Pulemyot Kalashnikova Pekhotny "Pecheneg", ) is a Russian 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun.Popenker, Max RPKP Pecheneg machine gun It is a further development and modification of the PK machine gun (PKM). It is said to ...

M2 Browning The M2 machine gun or Browning .50-caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed near the end of World War I by John Browning. While similar to Browning's M1919 Browning machine gun, which was chambered ...

RPG-7 The RPG-7 is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket launcher. The RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and are now manufactured by the Russian company Bazalt. The weapon has t ...

* Carl Gustaf 8.4 cm recoilless rifle

Others

Apart from the combat and maneuver forces, the MNDF also consists of: * Support services ** Service corps ** Defence intelligence service ** Medical corps ** Adjutant general's corps * Functional commands **

Special Forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

** Special protection service ** Ordnance service ** MNDF Marine Corps Special Operations Group ** MNDF Coast Guard Special Boat Squadron

Rank structure

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 of

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

, 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.

Serving general officers

* Major General

Ibrahim Hilmy Ibrahim Hilmy (; born 1969) is a Maldivian military officer who is currently serving as the Chief of Maldives National Defence Force since April 2024. He previously served as Vice Chief of Defence Force, under Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef. Mil ...

- Chief of Defence Force * Brigadier General Ahmed Ghiyas Vice Chief of Defence Force * Brigadier General Ismail Shareef - Commander, MNDF Northern Area Command * Brigadier General Abdulla Zuhury - Commandant, MNDF Fire and Rescue Service * Brigadier General Dr. Ali Shahid Mohamed - Surgeon General, MNDF Medical Corps * Brigadier General Abdul Rauf - Commandant, MNDF Air Corps * Brigadier General Ibrahim Rasheed - Commander, MNDF Male' Area Command * Brigadier General Mohamed Ibrahim - Defence Advisor, High Commission of Maldives - India * Brigadier General Abdulla Ibrahim - Adjutant General * Brigadier General Hassan Shahid - Director General, J3 IHQ * Brigadier General Mohamed Saleem - Commandant, Coast Guard * Brigadier General Hussain Ibrahim - Director General, DIDC

Retired general officers

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Ambaree Abdul Sattar (Deputy Commander in Chief of Armed Forces from 21 April 1992 – 1 January 1996) * Major General

Mohamed Zahir Major General (Retired) Mohamed Zahir ( Dhivehi: މުހައްމަދު ޒާހިރު) is a former Chief of Defence Force of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and the National Security Advisor of the Maldives. Education Zahir had his ...

(Chief of Defence Force from 1 January 1996 – 18 Nov 2008) * Major General

Moosa Ali Jaleel Major General (Retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel GOMH M.Phil. MSc ndc psc is a retired 2 star officer of the Maldives National Defence Force who served as the 3rd Chief of Defence Force of Maldives National Defence Force from 18 November 2008 unti ...

(Chief of Defence Force from 18 Nov 2008 – 7 February 2012 ) * Major General Adam Zahir (Commissioner of Police) * Major General Ahmed Shiyam (Former Chief of Defence Force) * Brigadier General Ahmed Shahid (Former Vice Chief of Defence Force) * Brigadier General Farhath Shaheer (Former Vice Chief of Defence Force) * Brigadier General Ahmed Shahid (Former Vice Chief of Defence Force) * Brigadier General Ahmed Naeem Mohamed * Brigadier General Zakariyya Mansoor - Director General of Counter-Terrorism,

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

* Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Didi * Brigadier General Ahmed Mohamed (former Vice Chief of Defence Force ) * Brigadier General Ali Zuhair (former commander of

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...

) *

Abdulla Shamaal Lieutenant General (retd) Abdulla Shamaal MA MSc ndu psc (born 5 July 1969) is the former Chief of Defence Force (CDF) of Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). General Shamaal was appointed to the post of Chief of Defence Force on 11 Decembe ...

( Former Chief of Defence Force) * Major General Hamid Shafeeq (Former Commandant, MNDF Service Corps) * Major General Wais Waheed (Former Commandant, MNDF Marine Corps) *

Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef (Former Chief of Defence Force) * Brigadier General Mohamed Shareef (Former Commandant of MNDF fire and rescue)

Dismissed general officers

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Ahmed Nilam

Notes

* Ambaree Abdul Sattar is the first person to have held

rank and also served as the

Minister of State for Defence The Minister of State for Defence is a mid-level position in the Ministry of Defence in the British government. It is currently held by Lord Coaker, who took the office on 8 July 2024. Responsibilities The minister has the following ministe ...

. * Adam Zahir held the rank of major General from 29 April 2004 to 1 September 2004 prior to the appointment as Commissioner at

Maldives Police Service The Maldives Police Service () is the civilian national police force of the Republic of Maldives. It is responsible for enforcing criminal and traffic law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace throughout Maldives. T ...

. *

Ahmed Nilam held the rank of brigadier general before he was demoted and dismissed from the service. He was dismissed for failing to act according to the responsibilities, conduct and rules of MNDF. *

is the only person who have served as both the

Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

and Chief of Defence Force. * Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef held the CDF post for the shortest tenure (From 17 November 2023 - 17 April 2024) due to compulsory retirement upon reaching 60 years of age as per MNDF Act. He previously served as the Vice Chief of Defence Force from 11 December 2018 to 17 November 2023

References

Notes

External links

* {{National intelligence agencies Law enforcement in the Maldives Military of the Maldives

Organizational structure

Combat and maneuver forces

Coast Guard

Marine Corps

Air Corps

Equipment

Small Arms

Others

Rank structure

Serving general officers

Retired general officers

Dismissed general officers

Notes

See also

References

Notes

External links