Myanmar - Army Modernization
With the coming to power of the SLORC in September 1988, the Tatmadaw began to pursue a force modernization program, injecting massive resources to boost its order of battle. The Tatmadaw embarked on ambitious arm production and procurement programs, which indicated that external security threats had significantly influenced the Tatmadaw’s threat perception. In accordance with its modified military doctrine, the Tatmadaw has been building up conventional war fighting capabilities.
Armored Vehicles
One of the most impressive areas of the SLORC's force modernization post-1988 is in armor and artillery. In the early 1950s, the Tatmadaw-Kyi procured small numbers of medium tanks, APCs, Scout Cars, and Bren Carriers from the United Kingdom and the United States. The army bought 80 Universal T-16 tracked Bren gun carriers from 1950 to 1959; 40 Humber 1-ton armored personnel carriers in 1950; 22 Comet medium tanks (from WWII stocks) in 1954; 6 Ferret scout cars in 1956; and 51 Daimler scout cars in 1961. Then, no further procurement was made throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. By early 1980s, it was estimated that fewer than 100 carriers were serviceable, though as recently as 2021 IISS reported that all the 75-year old Humber Pig and Ferret scout cars remained in service.
Prior to the late 1980s, it was never intended to build force for conventional war. The TatmadawKyi did not procure main battle tanks, light tanks, amphibious tanks, and or armored personnel carriers. A very modest armor wing was under the Directorate of Armour and Artillery until the early 1990s. Beginning in 1990, the Tatmadaw-Kyi took a major step to boost its armor and artillery wing. The Tatmadaw-Kyi bought about 100 Type 69 II Main Battle Tanks (MBT), about a dozen 59D MBT, over 100 Type 63 light (amphibious) tanks, about 250 Type 85 Armoured Personnel Carriers, and over 50 Type 90 APC from the PRC. The Tatmadaw also had T-72 MBT and BTR-3U IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) in its order of battle.
Since 2012, the rumors have circulated that the Chinese MBT-2000 was being tested in Myanmar. But after that time, there were very few scenes of the Myanmar army showing or daily use of MBT-2000. There are not many advanced tanks in the surrounding areas (mainly Bangladesh and Thailand), so it is very likely that Myanmar purchased very few or no pieces of equipment. But in recent years, a new round of arms purchases in Southeast Asian countries have been gradually signed or implemented, and the situation has changed again. In particular, Thailand had successively delivered two advanced main battle tanks, T-84 "Fort" M and VT-4, and Bangladesh's VT-5 light tank contract will also enter the execution stage. Myanmar, which has always been "working within its capabilities", has also come to the time to make a move.
In 2006-2009, Myanmar received from Ukraine 26 modernized tracked armored vehicles MT-LBMSH with installed Ukrainian combat module "Squall". All of them are still in the service of the Armed Forces of this country. MT-LBMSH is an BMP on the MT-LB chassis with the Shkval combat module. Armament: 30-mm automatic gun ZTM-1, paired with it 7.62-mm machine gun KT-7.62, two anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) "Barrier", 30-mm automatic grenade launcher, smoke grenade launchers. The MT-LBMSh version has been manufactured at the VO Kharkiv Malisheva Plant since 2006.
Artillery
The Tatmadaw-Kyi usually equipped infantry battalions with 2-inch, 3-inch, 60-mm, 81-mm, and 82-mm mortars as light and medium mortars and 120-mm ones as heavy mortar. Initially, most of these mortars were purchased from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Yugoslavia. However, in the late 1980s, factories under the Directorate of Defence Industries began to assemble 60-mm (BA-100), 81-mm (BA-90), and 120-mm (BA-97) mortars. For towed artillery, the Tatmadaw-Kyi equipped artillery batteries with 6-pounder, 17-pounder, 25-pounder, 76-mm mountain gun, and 105-mm howitzer. It also operated 57-mm and 75-mm recoilless guns. In 1950s and 1960s the Tatmadaw-Kyi bought about a hundred 76-mm M48BI mountain guns from Yugoslavia, and about a hundred 105-mm M101 howitzers from the United States.
In the early 1980s, the Tatmadaw-Kyi bought about 1,200 84-mm M2 Carl Gustaf anti-tank recoilless guns from Sweden. Since the early 1990s, although there is no way to confirm the number of artilleries, the Tatmadaw-Kyi did buy a number of 60-mm (Type-63) mortars, 82-mm (Type-53/67/76) mortars, 120-mm (Type-53) mortars, 122-mm (Type-55/56) mortars, 57-mm (Type36) recoilless guns, 75-mm (Type-52/56) recoilless guns, 82-mm (Type65/78) recoilless guns, 122-mm (Type-54) howitzers, 155-mm howitzers, and 107-mm (Type-63) and 130-mm (Type-63) multiple rocket launchers from the PRC.
Moreover, there are some unconfirmed reports about artillery acquisition from various overseas sources, such as Israel (for 155-mm towed artillery and 120-mm mortars) and Russia (for 82-mm mortar and 122-mm multiple rocket launcher). It was also reported that Tatmadaw-Kyi took the delivery of 122-mm howitzers, a number of anti-tank weapons, and 107-mm Type 63 and 122-mm Type 90 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) from the PRC. Some reports stated that the Tatmadaw bought 30 units of 240-mm truck mounted MLRS from North Korea.
Anti-aircraft Artillery
Another area of force modernization was air defence. Until 1988, the Tatmadaw maintained just a company-size battery of anti-aircraft artillery, armed with 37-mm twin-barrel guns, for the protection of the Mingalardon airfield and the command headquarters in Yangon. Myanmar’s air defence system was very modest since it maintained a small number of US-made Bofors 40-mm anti-aircraft guns, US-made 3.7-inch Mk 3A towed anti-aircraft guns, and Yugoslavia-made 20-mm M38 anti-aircraft gun. With these weapons, the Myanmar air defence system was primarily a point defence and verylow-altitude-air-defence-system (VLAADS).
Moreover, the Tatmadaw bought several 37-mm twin barrel towed anti-aircraft gun systems, 57-mm single barrelled towed anti-aircraft systems and 57-mm twin barrel self-propelled anti-aircraft gun systems from China. Since the early 2000s, the Tatmadaw had shown more interest in procuring air defence weapons, mostly from Russia and Eastern European countries. Unconfirmed reports indicate the possible procurement of the TUNGUSKA Gun/Missile system. In April 2006, during his state visit to Russia, Vice-Senior General Maung Aye, reportedly discussed the purchase of Russian air defence systems, Tor-M1 [SA-15], and BUK M1-2 [SA-17].
Russia will supply Myanmar with Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and cannon systems, Orlan-10E unmanned aerial vehicles, and radar stations. The document was signed 22 January 2021 in the presence of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, who is on an official visit to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Myanmar, Senior General Min Aung Hline. On behalf of the Russian side, the agreement was signed by the deputy head of the Russian military department, Colonel-General Alexander Fomin. Since 2001, Russia and Myanmar have created the entire legal framework for effective and mutually beneficial bilateral military-technical cooperation, which is developing dynamically.
Surface-to-Air Missiles
Since 1989, the armed forces expanded to over a dozen air defence battalions. By 2020 it was reported that the Tatmadaw had about thirty air defence battalions grouped into three air defence divisions under the air defence command. There were unconfirmed report that the Tatmadaw bought the BAe Dynamics Bloodhound Mk.II surface-to-air-missiles from Singapore. However, it appeared that the Tatmadaw was more interested in the Man-Portable Air Defence System (MANPADS). This is indicated by the procurement of a number of Chinese-made Honying (HN-5A) shoulder-launch missiles, a variant of the Russian SA-7 Grail. In 2001, Jane’s Defence Weekly reported that the Tatmadaw bought at least 100 Igla-1E [SA-16 “Gimlet”] low altitude, surface-to-air missile systems from Bulgaria.
The Hongqi-22 missile is a new type of equipment of China's surface-to-air missile force. As a new generation of air defense missiles with relatively low price and high combat effectiveness, Hongqi-22 missiles will accelerate the modernization of air defense missile forces. The export version of the Hongqi-22 missile is called FK-3, which was developed by the 10th Academy of Aerospace Science and Industry of China. The company started from imitating the Hongqi-2 system of the Soviet S-75, and successively developed the Hongqi-2, Hongqi-12 missiles and Hongqi- The export version of the 12 was once called KS-1, and later changed to the FK-1 series. Currently, Myanmar, Thailand, Turkmenistan, etc. have purchased and equipped this series of missiles.
On 27 March 2016 Myanmar showcased the modernized «Kvadrat-M» Air Defence System at the annual Armed Forces Day military parade. The «Kvadrat-M» is an modernized SA-6 Gainful Surface to Air Missile system developed by Belarusian company Alevkurp JSC. The «Kvadrat-M» using a MZKT-6922 lightweight wheeled chassis similar to that used by the «Buk-2M» and «Tor». Repairs to the modernization of «Kvadrat-M» made of “ALEVKURP” together with JSC “Plant 2566 repair electronic equipment” (RB). Developed and designed by the Belarus Defense Industry. Mynamar is the first foreign customer of the Kvadrat-M.
Surface-to-Surface Missiles
Some observers suggest the Tatmadaw became serious about buying Surface-to-Surface Missiles [SSMs] after its confrontation with Thai forces in early 2002. Since there are some missile battalions under the artillery corps, there are reports about the Tatmadaw’s procurement of larger surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs) from China and North Korea. Andrew Selth reported that the Tatmadaw was interested in buying short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) from China and North Korea. He further stated that China agreed to sell some M-11 SRBMs for the Myanmar military. Besides, the Tatmadaw held discussions with a North Korean agency to buy Hwasong (Scub-type) SRBMs in 2003. In March 2004, before the House International Relations Committee, Matthew Daley, deputy assistant secretary in the bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs in the U.S. State Department, stated that North Korea offered Myanmar surface-to-surface missiles. Some defence analysts speculated that the Tatmadaw might have procured SSMs from Ukraine.
The Tatmadaw could buy Chinese SSMs as it was already a customer of China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation (CPMIEC); it bought HN-5 shoulder-launch missiles for air defence and C-801 and C-802 antiship cruise missile for warships. The CPMIEC could provide the Tatmadaw with M-9 (DF-15) and M-11 (DF-11) SSMs. Both M-11 (DF-11) and M-9 (DF-15) are road-mobile single-stage, solid-propellant SRBMs. As of 2021 all such treansfers remained in the realm of theory, not even speculation.
It was rumored that Myanmar had a tactical missile system SY-400 with a BP-12A missile at a range of 400 km from China. It is believed that Myanmar has a tactical range of Hwasong-5 or SCUD-B from North Korea at a range of 300 km or Hwasong-6 from North Korea with a range of about 700 km.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
