Rwandan Army employs surface-to-air missiles in eastern DRC.

Recent developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have unveiled the sophisticated weaponry being deployed by the Rwandan army, according to a United Nations document dated February 12. The report highlights the use of surface-to-air missiles by the army in support of M23 rebels amid escalating conflict in eastern DRC.
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Aerial image from the report showing a six-wheeled armored vehicle equipped with radar and a missile launcher on the roof, and the supposed vehicle, a Yitian anti-aircraft system mounted on a WZ-551 6x6 armored vehicle chassis (on the right). (Picture source: UN/ Army Recognition)

A "suspected mobile surface-to-air missile of the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF)" was reportedly fired unsuccessfully at a UN observation drone the previous Wednesday. External military intelligence from France corroborates the assessment that the mobile missile system, a WZ551 6x6 IFV, is of Rwandan origin. Aerial images attached to the report show a six-wheeled armored vehicle equipped with radar and a missile launcher on its roof, taken by the targeted drone approximately 70 km north of Goma, in rebel-held Rutshuru territory.

The UN's MONUSCO peacekeeping mission in the DRC stated in the document that it has no previous records of known armed groups with the training, capital, or resources to operate and maintain a mobile SAM system. This development signifies an escalation of conventional conflict in eastern DRC, highlighting the intensification of hostilities that have recently driven thousands of civilians to flee the town of Sake, a strategic point on the route to Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

The document also reveals that the Rwandan army and the M23 have utilized a variety of weapons against aircraft, including anti-aircraft guns and MANPAD mobile air defense systems. This firepower poses a significant risk to all government and UN aircraft operating in the region. To date, neither the United Nations nor the DRC's army have commented on the incident. Clashes between the M23, one of the most potent armed groups in the country's troubled east, and the Congolese army have intensified, underscoring the ongoing security challenges in this resource-rich region.

The Yitian anti-aircraft missile system consists of a combat module mounted on a 6x6 WZ-551 armored vehicle chassis produced by NORINCO (China). Equipped with 8 Tianlong 6 short-range surface-to-air missiles, a modified version of the air-to-air missile TY-90 (Sky Swallow-90), this system has an effective range of 300 to 6,000 meters and a maximum operational altitude of 4,000 meters. The TY-90's firing mechanism relies on a relatively passive, multi-phase array radar positioned atop the operational module, while the armored WZ-551 chassis retains a heavy 12.7 mm machine gun for self-defense. The Chinese-made Yitian low-range anti-aircraft missile systems are deemed technically superior to the currently serviced Strela-10 in both range and radar accuracy. However, the Lao People's Army will not phase out the Strela-10, which will be used alongside the Yitian. Both systems will play a critical role in protecting armored units.

Defense News February 2024