India deploys naval aircraft in Maldives

In its effort to bolster Maldives' anti-piracy patrols and maritime surveillance, India has deployed another naval Dornier aircraft in the Indian Ocean island nation, local media reported Wednesday. "The Dornier will operate from Male and other places from Wednesday for at least three weeks," The Times of India newspaper quoted an official as saying. Ever since Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony visited Maldives in August 2009, Indian warships and Dornier aircraft have been regularly assisting the 1,190-island archipelago in maritime patrolling, the newspaper said. India is also assisting Maldives in setting up a network of ground radars in all its 26 atolls and link them with the Indian military surveillance systems, the report said.