Maldivian Coast Guard
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The Maldivian Coast Guard is the naval arm of the Maldivian National Defence Force (formerly National Security Service). This is the oldest form of service provided by the Maldivian Defence Force. However as a separate wing of MNDF the Coast Guard was officially established on 1st of January 1980. Late Colonel Hussain Ibrahim Fulhu or commonly known as Kaashidhoo Hussain Fulhu was the first Commanding Officer and founder of the Coast Guard. Even today most of the operational strategy and tactics were that of Hussain Fulhu's and he is considered as an outstanding strategist by most of Coast Guardmen in Maldives. The main duties of the unit include general Coast Guard duties as well as naval defence function. It's capabilities was increased and modernised mainly after the November 3rd attack of 1988 by PLOTE terrorists.
After the 1988 incident 6 British patrol crafts were acquired. These were 4 Tracker II class, 1 Dagger class and 1 Cheverton class crafts. The next major change was in the period of 1998 when 3 vessels were built and purchased from the Colombo Dockyard. These include 2 Coastal Surveillance Vessels of 24 meters which were commissioned as Ghazee and Iskandhar. Also 1 Fast Landing Craft of 20m in length was acquired along with a 17 meter fire fighting vessel.
More recently with the 2004 Tsunami disaster and such the need for larger vessels with off-shore patrol capability were given priority. And as such the Indian Navy gifted a Trinkat Class Fast Attack Craft of 46m length in April 2006, this was commissioned as Huravee. Maldives Coast Guard is also currently in the process of having 2 additional large patrol crafts constructed at the Colombo Dockyard. These vessels are of 40m and 35m in length and the construction of the 35m vessel was started in May 2006. The 35m patrol craft was brought back to Male on the 21st of April 2007 and commissioned as Shaheedh Ali. The 40m vessel was brought to Male on 11th November 2007 and named Ghaazee. However the old 24m Ghaazee was renamed as Nooradheen named after the King who formed MNDF on the 21st of April 1892. In addition to these the Coast Guard operates a number of small in-shore patrol crafts.
The current Director General (Commanding Officer) of the Maldivian Coast Guard is Colonel Zakariyya Mansoor.
