Myanmar resistance claims succeeding in cracking military junta’s anti-drone jammers.

Anti-military regime groups are using unmanned aircraft more widely to attack Myanmar (Burmese) military forces. Resistance fighters in Myanmar have increasingly turned to drones as a means to attack Myanmar military forces, Radio Free Asia in Burmese reports. This shift comes after successfully bypassing the junta's anti-drone jammers, as reported by rebel groups and drone operation teams.
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Members of the anti-junta drone militia group Federal Wings listen to instructions from their commander in an undisclosed location in Myanmar, Sept. 4, 2023 (Picture source: Federal Wings)

According to Ko Nyein, who leads a rebel drone force named Cloud Wings in Kayin state, eastern Myanmar, these drones have seen significant performance improvements. They can now carry heavier payloads, achieve greater altitude and range, and penetrate the junta's drone defense systems. This enhancement has enabled the widespread use of drones in various military operations across Myanmar.

In 2022 alone, rebel forces conducted approximately 642 drone attacks on junta soldiers, as reported by three drone forces operating in Kayin, Kayah states, Sagaing, and Magway regions. While the use of drones has continued to increase this year, militia groups associated with the National Unity Government have refrained from disclosing specific details due to security concerns and the sensitivity of their military activities. These developments come as People's Defense Forces (PDFs) and ethnic militias, composed of ordinary citizens who have taken up arms against the military following the 2021 coup, seek to counter the junta's formidable defenses. The military had installed machine guns and anti-drone equipment at key military installations.

Initially, rebel fighters relied on homemade weapons such as hunting rifles, launchers, and bombs to confront the national military. However, they have since transitioned to using attack drones that can drop bombs, having overcome the junta's anti-drone defense systems.

The National Unity Government, consisting of former civilian leaders and anti-junta activists, distributed over 400 attack drones to loosely affiliated militia groups. According to Maung Maung Swe, deputy secretary of the NUG's Ministry of Defense, they have gained a deep understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the junta's drones and can effectively neutralize them.

The primary challenge facing rebel forces is the cost of the bombs dropped by the drones. The Cloud Wings drone force, formed in Kayin state, has conducted more than 100 anti-junta drone operations, but the expense of the munitions remains a significant hurdle. These drone attacks have proven strategically effective, posing a significant threat to the junta's forces. Captain Kaung Thu Win, a participant in the Civil Disobedience Movement, notes that the military is now more fearful of drones than landmines, as drones are used for both defensive and surprise attacks, day and night.

While the junta possesses anti-drone equipment called Drone Guard, many soldiers at bases are unfamiliar with its operation. This knowledge gap has allowed rebel forces to successfully penetrate military jammers that disrupt radio waves and drone control.

(Based on translation by Myo Min Aung for RFA Burmese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster).

Members of Cloud Wings, a drone unit formed in Southeastern Myanmar’s Kayin State in March 2023, prepare a drone with mortar bombs on August 30, 2023 (Picture source: Cloud Wings)

Defense News October 2023