India, Maldives Agree To Expand Defense Ties

[yasin_khan]

Government officials here said Aug. 2 that India and Maldives have agreed to increase their cooperation in defense.

The announcement followed talks here between Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Lt. Gen. Abdul Sattar Anbaree, Maldivian state minister for defense and national security.

A senior Indian Defence Ministry official said Aug. 2 that the agreement would include:
* Training at Indian facilities for defense personnel from Maldives.

* Assisting Maldivian shipbuilding efforts.

* Selling small arms and ammunition from the state-owned Ordnance Factories Board, Calcutta, at a concessional price to Maldives.

The two countries’ defense ministers also discussed establishing, with the help of Indian scientists, a dedicated military reconnaissance center on a deserted Maldivian island to monitor land, air and sea threats in the Indian Ocean. The center would analyze and update digital mapping data using pictures from India’s Terrestrial Experimental Satellite.

While he is in the Indian capital, Anbaree also will call on Indian Home Affairs Minister Shiv Raj Patil and External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, and will visit the headquarters of the National Security Guard and Coast Guard. He also is to visit shipyards in Mumbai and Goa.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=3114079&C=asiapac

[Shazzz]

Its a good thing to have military exercises with the other countries and the exercise between India and Maldivian will be better nost for the Maldivian

[srirangan]

India prolly looking for naval bases in the Maldives eventually .. ;)

[mysterious]

Its almost useless trying to do that! According to a report that I read (will try to find it again), 80% of Maldives' islands would go under-water (due to rising ocean levels) in about a hundred years. Maldives status as a soveriegn nation will be at stake then! May God help those people ova there!

[srirangan]

Naval bases, esp in the Indian Ocean near the Arabian seas are never useless. Infact much the opposite. ;)

[mysterious]

I didnt mean the naval bases will be useless; I meant that whats the use of undertaking such a thing when in about a hundred years, that land would be under-water?

[gf0012-aust]

I didnt mean the naval bases will be useless; I meant that whats the use of undertaking such a thing when in about a hundred years, that land would be under-water?

Hence a peripheral advantage of the floating offshore base concept of the USN.

It will be interesting to see what happens with that. Maersk have indicated that it is technically achievable and have built scale models.

[srirangan]

Hence a peripheral advantage of the floating offshore base concept of the USN.

You got any news on underwater Russian bases?

[yasin_khan]

Is Russia has any basses under water?
srirangan please provide any link it looks interesting. :eek

[srirangan]

nah, it was a concept floated around in the 80's .. never existed but was widely acclaimed to be the next generation of naval warfare

[RealIndian]

"a dedicated military reconnaissance center"

Only for reconnaissance, so this will not be big military base (for Indian Navy). :?