Anti-regime factions are employing unmanned aerial vehicles on a larger scale to launch attacks against military personnel.

According to reports from rebel groups and drone operation groups, resistance fighters in Myanmar have started to heavily depend on drones for launching attacks against the country's military forces. This change in tactics has become possible after successfully bypassing the junta's anti-drone jammers, enabling them to exploit this advanced technology in their struggle against oppression.

According to Ko Nyein, who heads the rebel drone unit Cloud Wings in Kayin state, eastern Myanmar, the drones' performance has undergone a significant improvement.

According to his statement, their drones have been enhanced to carry heavier payloads, operate at higher altitudes and cover longer distances, while successfully bypassing the interference caused by the junta's signal jammers. Additionally, he highlighted the expanded utilization of their drones across multiple military units in Myanmar.

According to reports from three drone forces operating in Kayin and Kayah states, as well as Sagaing and Magway regions, rebel forces executed around 642 drone attacks on junta soldiers in 2022.

According to militia groups affiliated with the National Unity Government, there has been a rise in the utilization of drones this year. Unfortunately, due to security concerns and the sensitivity surrounding their military operations, they were unable to disclose any specific information.

The groups have not provided any data on the number of drone attacks that have occurred this year, as of yet.

According to drone operators, the People's Defense Forces (PDFs) and ethnic militias have resorted to contemporary warfare technology in their fight against the military forces that took control after the 2021 coup. These groups, consisting of ordinary citizens, have encountered junta soldiers equipped with machine guns and anti-drone defense systems at crucial military installations. As a result, the PDFs and ethnic militias have turned to the use of drones to counter these challenges.

In the beginning, the rebel fighters placed their trust in makeshift weaponry, encompassing tumees, hunting rifles, launchers, and bombs, as their means of resistance against the armed forces of the nation.

PDF personnel have reported an escalation in the deployment of attack drones equipped with bomb-dropping capabilities, following the successful neutralization of the junta's anti-drone defense system.

The National Unity Government's shadow administration, consisting of ex-civilian leaders and anti-junta activists, has reportedly supplied more than 400 attack drones to loosely regulated militia factions, as per Maung Maung Swe, the deputy secretary of the Ministry of Defense.

Our understanding of the junta's drones' capabilities and limitations is comprehensive, and we can now disable them with ease, as per the statement given to RFA. Our ability to penetrate their wifi jammers across the nation has been significantly enhanced by our knowledge of their frequency.

Cost of bombs

Over 100 anti-junta drone operations have been executed by the Cloud Wings drone force, which was established in Kayin state in March, as stated by Ko Nyein.

According to Ko Nyein, the considerable price tag of the diverse bombs installed on the drones has presented a formidable challenge.

The cost of the bombs, he mentioned, stands as the central obstacle we confront.

Over the course of September 1 and 2, the Cloud Wings drone unit carried out two attacks on the police station and municipal hall in Kyainseigyi city. These targeted strikes involved the deployment of 107-mm bombs.

On the subsequent day, the police station situated in Myawaddy city of Kayin region fell victim to an assault orchestrated by the Federal Wings, an alternative resistance group utilizing drones to strike against the junta's military forces and infrastructure. Tragically, this attack claimed the lives of five individuals, including the district administrator of Myawaddy and the acting commander of the junta's Light Infantry Regiment No. 175. Furthermore, an unspecified number of people suffered injuries as a result of this incident.

The junta is facing a significant threat from these drone attacks, as highlighted by Capt. Kaung Thu Win, a participant in the nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement.

According to the speaker, military forces used to be afraid of landmine attacks during their deployments in the past. But now, the most dreaded weapons for them are drones, which can be employed for defensive as well as surprise attacks, regardless of the time of day.

In addition, he mentioned that the military troops suffered significant damage from the bombs deployed by our drones, but it is important to note that these bombs are unable to completely eradicate an entire enemy unit.

Attack from a distance

Kaung Thu Win has stated that the Drone Guard, the anti-drone equipment utilized by the junta, has limitations and a significant number of soldiers stationed at bases lack the necessary skills to operate it.

On Sept. 11, junta troops stationed near Nat Yay Kan village in Chaung-U township, Sagaing region, faced an assault from fixed-wing drones operated by the Civilian Defense and Security Organization of Myaung. Remarkably, these drones were able to overcome the military jammers, which are intended to block radio signals and impede drone control.