Myanmar’s air force has taken delivery of six Su-30 SMEs from Russia as the rebels consolidate their victory over the military junta. The delivery of the twin-seat, twin-engine fighter jets comes as the Myanmar Air Force is having problems with its Chinese-made JF-17 Thunder fighter jets.
The six Russian jets were acquired under a 2018 contract worth US$400 million. The acquisition was financed by Russian loans, and the final two jets entered service on December 15, 2024 at Meiktila Air Base in Mandalay.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant General Alexander Fomin told Russia’s TASS news agency that these Su-30 jets will serve as Myanmar’s main aircraft to protect territorial integrity and counter terrorist threats. The Su-30SME is stationed at Nay Pyi Taw Air Base and is capable of covering the entire country.
Myanmar’s military junta is increasing its air force capabilities to deal with insurgents. On December 15 alone, the military commissioned six Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters, six Chinese-made FTC-2000G fighters, one K-8W fighter, and one Y-8 support aircraft.
According to Myanmar’s Ministry of Justice, which monitors the country’s conflict, the military receives aviation fuel primarily from China and Russia, but the junta says raw materials used to make military weapons come from 13 countries, including China and Russia. He said that ,India.
The Myanmar Air Force is currently focused on counterinsurgency operations, providing close air support to ground forces engaged in conflicts with rebel groups. The Myanmar Air Force has been carrying out airstrikes since 2021.
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Air superiority was not sufficient for the military regime to protect its territory from ethnic rebels.
Myanmar’s military junta regularly carries out airstrikes and shelling of rebel-held towns in northern Shan state. The Air Force uses Y-12 aircraft to drop bombs in rebel-held areas. The military, which has lost fighter jets and combat helicopters, is now also using transport helicopters that can carry “hundreds of bombs” to attack rebels.
The junta plans to expand its use of airstrikes and artillery in 2025 as part of efforts to prevent further territory loss. Although anti-junta forces lack surface-to-air missiles and other sophisticated equipment, they are still capable of shooting down low-flying junta aircraft with weapons such as .50-caliber machine guns.
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The Su-30SME is a twin-engine, two-seat version of the Russian Su-30, designed for missions requiring extended range and increased payload. It has a top speed of Mach 2.0, a service ceiling of 17,300 meters, an operational range of approximately 3,000 kilometers, and 12 hardpoints for mounting various weapon configurations.
The Su-30SME, an export version of the Russian-made Su-30SM fighter jet, was first unveiled internationally at the 2018 Singapore Air Show. It is equipped with Russian-made avionics, replacing foreign components found on other models such as the Su-30MKI. .
The delivery of the Russian fighter jets comes as China’s JF-17 Thunder fighter jets in Myanmar are facing a number of technical problems. Moreover, the junta has also accused China, one of its few remaining international supporters, of supporting the rebels, with the junta’s top official, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, saying that the government will not support the rebels until August 2024. In May, the military said it had lost Lashio due to Chinese involvement.
Later, the Chinese embassy issued a statement suggesting that outside forces were trying to damage relations between China and Myanmar.
Slipping air superiority
The Myanmar Air Force (MAF), although not small by regional standards, has around 31 SU-29s and, recently, six SU-30s from Russia. Seven JF-17 multirole fighter jets have already been grounded due to cracks in their fuselage and other maintenance issues.
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Myanmar is said to have about 40 other fighter jets, but these are old Russian copies made in China in the 1990s. It has far exceeded its useful life.
The MAF is believed to have 20 Nanchang Q-5s, the Chinese version of the MiG-19, in its fleet, down from the 36 it imported between 1994 and 2001. China also has around 21 Chengdu J-7s, which are Chinese-made MiG-21s. This is less than the approximately 60 units the company purchased between 1990 and 1999.
It is not yet clear how many of these aircraft will be fit to fly.
Myanmar’s military relies on 18 Russian-made Yak-130 trainer aircraft for much of its combat operations. Since the February 2021 coup, Myanmar has delivered about six Guizhou JL-9 jet trainers, known as FTC-2000Gs, but their performance and safety records have not been particularly great.
Developing tactics to counter drone-savvy rebels
Drone strikes have been critical to the rebels’ success, including driving junta forces from vast swathes of northern Myanmar, much of which lies near the border with China.
Rebel forces make extensive use of drones. The fighters smuggled drones, many made in China, manufactured for filming and agricultural purposes into anti-junta camps, where the team repurposed them to deliver crude but effective “drop bombs.”
The military is now adopting the equipment and tactics of anti-junta fighters, using drones to drop mortars and directing artillery and bombing attacks by air forces built by China and Russia.
The Washington Post collated more than 30 videos and photos of military drone operations from non-combatant aid groups, monitoring groups and pro-military channels. Analysis of these videos and photos revealed that many of the attack drones used by the military are commercial drones manufactured by various foreign companies. The junta also wants specialized surveillance drones, especially from Russia.
The United States and the European Union have embargoed arms sales to Myanmar’s military, but they are unable to stop the flow of millions of dollars worth of arms and equipment classified as “dual-use” from Russia and China. I haven’t been able to do it. Drones and drone parts.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense has publicly acknowledged that Myanmar has at least one type of Russian-made surveillance drone, the Oran-10E. But at least one other Russian drone developer, Albatross, is also working with Myanmar’s military, according to company emails leaked by Ukrainian hackers.
Ritu Sharma has been writing about defense and foreign affairs for nearly 17 years. She holds a master’s degree in conflict studies and peace management from the University of Erfurt, Germany. Her areas of interest include the Asia-Pacific, the South China Sea, and aviation history. Contact her at ritu.sharma (at) mail.com.
