President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, Commander-in-Chief of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), attended the official handover ceremony of the "Dharumavantha", a Türkiye Navy vessel gifted to the Maldives as part of strengthened defence cooperation between the two nations.

The event, held at the Hulhumalé MPL area, saw the President welcomed by Minister of Defence Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon and Chief of Defence Force Major General Ibrahim Hilmy.

Turkish Navy Fleet Commander Admiral Kadir Yildiz formally handed the vessel over to Major General Hilmy, who accepted it on behalf of the MNDF. President Dr Muizzu unveiled the ship’s name, viewed a presentation of its capabilities, and signed the guest book.

Formerly known as the TCG Volkan, the "Dharumavantha" is the largest vessel ever to join the MNDF fleet, representing a major enhancement of the Maldives’ maritime defence capacity. The ship, designed by German shipbuilder Lürssen Werft, belongs to the Doğan class – the first Turkish naval class equipped with Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

Commissioned into the Turkish Navy in 1981 and reclassified in 2024 as a test and training vessel, it measures 58.1 metres, displaces 436 tonnes, and can reach speeds of up to 38 knots with a range of 1,050 nautical miles. It carries a crew of 45 and is equipped with a 76mm Oto Melara naval gun, a 35mm twin-barrel air defence gun, Harpoon missiles, and advanced radar and fire control systems.

The transfer is part of a wider Memorandum of Understanding between Türkiye and the Maldives aimed at strengthening naval infrastructure through equipment support and structured training. The vessel recently underwent comprehensive maintenance at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command to ensure operational readiness.