Myanmar rebels face new threat as junta deploys armed drones in civil war

NEW DELHI: In a significant development in Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, resistance fighters who had previously relied on a scattered fleet of modified Chinese-made commercial drones to battle against the country’s feared military are now finding their familiar weapons in the hands of the ruling junta.
According to seven people with knowledge of the matter, the rebels have encountered the junta’s use of armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in recent months, marking a shift in the conflict’s dynamics.

“The battle is changing now as drones are being used by both sides,” said a 31-year-old rebel fighter in the country’s southeast, identifying himself by the nom de guerre of Ta Yoke Gyi.
He and other rebel fighters described instances where the junta had deployed modified Chinese-manufactured drones to carry explosives and attack rebel positions. Some resistance fighters have been injured in these attacks, highlighting the junta’s improved proficiency in utilizing UAVs.

According to Min Zaw Oo, executive director of the Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security think-tank, the junta began procuring thousands of Chinese commercial UAVs at the start of the year, modifying them to carry locally-manufactured munitions. While the junta has not publicly addressed its recent use of UAVs, regime leader Min Aung Hlaing acknowledged last year that rebels had dropped over 25,000 bombs using drones during a major October offensive on military posts.

Despite the junta’s acquisition of armed CH-3 UAVs from China around 2013, resistance members report that the military is currently deploying multi-rotor commercial drones, including those designed for agriculture, in their latest sorties. The limited number of junta drones observed on the frontline suggests that the military has not yet deployed all of its newly procured aircraft.

As the civil war continues, the resistance appears to have lost its early advantage of being the main fighting force using drones, according to analysts and rebel fighters. The junta’s expanding UAV attack fleet is a welcome development for demoralized military forces relying on conscription to replenish shrinking frontline battalions. As the military retrains and refits, it is expected to maintain a defensive posture while harassing opposition positions with drones.
(With inputs from agencies)