Myanmar Army
Encyclopedia
The Myanmar Army is the land component of the Military of Myanmar
. The Myanmar Army is the largest branch of the Armed Forces of Myanmar and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. The Myanmar Army maintains the second largest active force in Southeast Asia
after Vietnam
's Vietnam People's Army
.
The Myanmar Army has a troop strength around 492,000. The army has extensive combat experience in fighting insurgents in rough terrains, considering it has been conducting non-stop counter-insurgency
operations against ethnic and political insurgents since its inception in 1948.
The force is headed by the Commander in Chief (Army), currently Lieutenant General Soe Win
with General Min Aung Hlaing as the Commander in Chief. The highest rank in the Myanmar Army was Senior General, equivalent to Field Marshal
position in Western Armies and was held by Senior General Than Shwe
.
In 2011, following transition from military junta government to civilian parliamentary government, the Myanmar Army enacted a military draft for all citizens, all males from the age 18 to 35 and all females age between 18 and 27 years of age can be drafted into military service for two years as enlisted personal in time of national emergency. The ages for professionals are up to 45 for men and 35 for women for three years service as commissioned and non commissioned officers.
An official publication has revealed that almost one-quarter of Myanmar's new national budget will be allocated to defense. The Government Gazette reports that 1.8 trillion kyat (about $2 billion at free market rates of exchange), or 23.6 percent of the 2011 budget will go to defense.
Officers, coming from the British Burma Army and Burman
(Bamar) officers, coming from the Patriotic Burmese Force (PBF).
In accordance with agreement reached at Kandy Conference in September 1945, the Tatmadaw was reorganised by incorporating the British Burma Army and the Patriotic Burmese Force. The officer corps shared by ex-PBF officers and officers from British Burma Army and Army of Burma Reserve Organization (ARBO). The British also decided to form what were known as "Class Battalions" based on ethnicity. There were a total of 15 rifle battalions at the time of independence and four of them were made up of former members of PBF. All influential positions within the War Office and commands were manned with non-former PBF Officers. All services including military engineers, supply and transport, ordnance and medical services, Navy and Air Force were all commanded by former Officers from ABRO and British Burma Army.
in Southeast Asia
, apart from Vietnam
's'. The judgement was echoed in 1983, when another observer noted that "Myanmar's infantry is generally rated as one of the toughest, most combat seasoned in Southeast Asia
".
In 1985, a foreign journalist with the rare experience of seeing Burmese soldiers in action against ethnic insurgents and narco-armies was 'thoroughly impressed by their fighting skills, endurance and discipline'. Other commentators throughout that time characterised the Myanmar Army as 'the toughest, most effective light infantry jungle force now operating in Southeast Asia'. Even the Thais
, not known to praise the Burmese lightly, have described the Myanmar Army as 'skilled in the art of jungle warfare
'.
battalions. Although the Myanmar Army's organisational structure was based upon the regimental system
, the basic manoeuvre and fighting unit is the battalion
, known as Tat Yinn in Burmese, which comprised a headquarters unit; four rifle companies (tat khwe) with three rifle platoons (Tat Su) each; an administration company with medical, transport, logistics and signals units; a heavy weapons company including mortar
, machine gun
and recoilless gun platoons. Each battalion
is commanded a Lieutenant Colonel
(du bo hmu gyi) with a Major
(bo hmu) as 2IC (Second in Command), with a total establishment strength of 27 officers and 723 other ranks. Light infantry
battalion
s in Myanmar Army have much lower establishment strength of around 500; this often leads to these units being mistakenly identified by the observers and reporters as under strength infantry battalions.
With its significantly increased personnel numbers, weaponry and mobility, today's Tatmadaw Kyee is a formidable conventional defence force for the Union of Myanmar. Troops ready for combat duty have at least doubled since 1988. Logistics infrastructure and Artillery
Fire Support has been greatly increased. Its newly acquired military might was apparent in the Tatmadaw's dry season operations against Karen National Union
(KNU) strongholds in Manerplaw
and Kawmura. Most of the casualties at these battles were the result of intense and heavy bombardment by the Tatmadaw Kyee. Not only that Tatmadaw Kyee is now much larger than it was in pre-1988, it is more mobile and has greatly improved armour, artillery and air defence inventories. Its C3I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence) systems have been expanded and refined. It is developing larger and more integrated, self-sustained formations which should lend themselves to better coordinated action by different combat arms. The army may still have relatively modest weaponry compared to its larger neighbours, but it is now in a much better position to deter external aggression and respond to such a threat should it ever arise except child soldiers may not perform very well in combating with enemies.
to be formed after the 1988 military coup
was the 11th Light Infantry
Division
(LID) in December 1988 with Col. Win Myint as commander of the division. In March 1990, a new regional military command was opened in Monywa
with Brigadier
Kyaw Min as commander and named North-Western Regional Military Command. A year later 101st LID was formed in Pakokku
with Col. Saw Tun as commander. Two Regional Operations Commands (ROC) were formed in Myeik and Loikaw
to facilitate command and control. They were commanded respectively by Brigadier Soe Tint and Brigadier Maung Kyi. March 1995 saw a dramatic expansion of the Tatmadaw as it established 11 Military Operations Commands (MOC)s in that month. MOC are similar to Mechanized Infantry
Division
s in western armies, each with 10 regular infantry battalions (Chay Hlyin Tatyin), a headquarters, and organic support units including field artillery
batteries. Then in 1996, two new RMC were opened, Coastal Region RMC was opened in Myeik with Brigadier Sit Maung as commander and Triangle Region RMC in Kengtung with Brigadier Thein Sein as commander. Their new ROCs were opened in Kalay, Bhamo
and Mongsat. In late 1998, two new MOCs were opened in Bokepyin and Mongsat.
The most significant expansion after the infantry in the army was in armour and artillery. Beginning in 1990, the Tatmadaw procured 18 T-69II
Main Battle tanks
and 48 T-63
amphibious light tank
s from China
. Further procurements were made, including several hundred Type 85 and Type 92
Armoured Personnel Carriers
(APC). By the beginning of 1998, Tatmadaw had about 100+ T-69II
Main battle tank
s, a similar number of T-63
amphibious light tanks and several T-59D
tanks. These tanks and armoured personnel carriers were distributed into five armoured infantry battalions and five tank battalions and formed the first Armoured Division of the Tatmadaw under the name of 71st Armoured Operations Command with its headquarters in Pyawbwe.
system and Myanmar Army was led by Vice Chief of Staff (Army). A new system was introduced in 1990 during Armed Forces reorganisation and all three branches of Armed Forces are now led by Commander-in-Chief.
in Western terms and consist of 2 or more Regional Military Commands (RMC) and commanded by a Lieutenant-General and 6 staff officers. The units were introduced under the General Staff Office
on 28 April 1978 and 1 June 1979. In early 1978, the then Chairman of BSPP General
Ne Win
visited the North Eastern Command Headquarters in Lashio to receive a briefing about Burmese Communist Party (BCP) insurgents and their military operations. He was accompanied by Brigadier General
Tun Ye from Ministry of Defence. Brigadier General
Tun Ye was the regional commander of Eastern Command for three years and before that he served in North Eastern Command areas as commander of Strategic Operation Command (SOC) and commander for Light Infantry
Division for four years. As BCP military operations were spread across three Regional Military Command (RMC) areas (Northern, Eastern and North Eastern), Brigadier General
Tun Ye was the most informed commander about the BCP in Myanmar Army at the time. At the briefing, General
Ne Win
was impressed by Brigadier General
Tun Ye and realized that coordination among various Regional Military Commands (RMC) was necessary; thus, decided to form a bureau at the Ministry of Defence. Originally, the bureau was for "special operations", wherever they were, that needed coordination among various Regional Military Commands (RMC). Later, with introduction of another bureau, there was a division of command areas. The BSO-1 was to oversee the operations under the Northern Command, North Eastern Command, the Eastern Command, and the North Western Command. BSO-2 was to oversee operations under the South Eastern Command, South Western Command, Western Command and Central Command. Initially, the chief of the BSO had the rank of Brigadier General
. The rank was upgraded to Major General
on 23 April 1979. in 1990, it was further upgraded to Lieutenant General
. Between 1995 and 2002, Chief of Staff (Army) jointly held the position of Chief of BSO. However, in early 2002, two more BSO were added to the General Staff Office; therefore there were altogether four BSOs. The fifth BSO was established in 2005 and the sixth in 2007.
Currently there are Six Bureaus of Special Operations in Myanmar order of Battle.
with the deputy commander and some staff officers drawn from Central Command. It was reorganised and renamed as Yangon Command on 1 June 1965.
A total of 337 infantry and light infantry battalions organised in Tactical Operations Commands, 37 independent field artillery regiments supported by affiliated support units including armoured reconnaissance
and tank
battalions. RMCs are similar to corps
formations in Western armies. The RMCs, commanded by Major General
rank officer, are managed through a framework of Bureau of Special Operations (BSOs), which are equivalent to Field Army Group
in Western terms.
s in Western Armies. Each consists of 4 Infantry battalions (Chay Hlyin Tatyin), HQ and organic support units. Commander of ROC is a position between LID/MOC commander and tactical Operation Command (TOC) commander, who commands only three infantry battalions. However, ROC commander enjoys financial, administrative and judicial authority while the MOC and LID commander does not have judicial authority.
divisions
in Western Armies. Each consists of 10 Mechanized Infantry
battalion
s equipped with BTR-3
Armored Personnel Carriers, Headquarters and support units including field artillery
batteries. These ten battalions are organized into three Tactical Operations Commands : one Mechanized Tactical Operations Command (with BTR-3 armored personal carriers) and two Motorized Tactical Operations Command (with EQ-2102 6x6 trucks).
MOC are equivalent to Light Infantry Division
(LID) in Myanmar Army order of battle as both command 10 infantry battalions through three TOC (Tactical Operations Command).
s organised under 3 Tactical Operations Commands, commanded by a Colonel
, (3 battalions each and 1 reserve), 1 Field Artillery Battalion
, 1 Armour Squadron and other support units.
These divisions were first introduced to the Myanmar Army in 1966 as rapid reaction mobile forces for strike operations. 77th Light Infantry Division was formed on 6 June 1966, followed by 88th Light Infantry Division and 99th Light Infantry Division in the two following years. 77th LID was largely responsible for the defeat of the Communist forces of the CPB (Communist Party of Burma
) based in the forested hills of the central Bago Yoma in the mid 1970s. Three more LIDs were raised in the latter half of 1970s (the 66th, 55th and 44th) with their headquarters at Pyay
, Aungban
and Thaton
. They were followed by another two LIDs in the period prior to the 1988 military coup (the 33rd LID with headquarters at Sagaing
and the 22nd LID with headquarters at Hpa-An
). 11th LID was formed in December 1988 with headquarters at Inndine, Bago Division
and 101st LID was formed in 1991 with its headquarters at Pakokku
.
Each LID, commanded by Brigadier General
(Bo hmu gyoke) level officers, consists of 10 light infantry battalions specially trained in counter-insurgency
, jungle warfare
, "search and destroy" operations against ethnic insurgents and narcotics-based armies. These Battalion
s are organised under three Tactical Operations Commands (TOC; Nee byu har). Each TOC, commanded by a Colonel
(Bo hmu gyi), is made up of three or more combat Battalion
s, with command and support elements similar to that of brigades in Western armies. One infantry battalion was held in reserve. As of 2000, all LID have their own organic Field Artillery units. For example, 314th Field Artillery Battery is now attached to 44th LID. Some of the LID battalions have been given Parachute and Air Borne Operations training and two of the LIDs have been converted to mechanised infantry formation with divisional artillery, armoured reconnaissance and tank battalions
LIDs are considered to be a strategic asset of the Myanmar Army, and after the 1990 reorganisation and restructuring of the Tatmadaw command structure, they are now directly answerable to Chief of Staff (Army).
and armoured units were not used in an independent role, but were deployed in support of the infantry
by the Ministry of Defence as required. The Directorate of Artillery and Armour Corps was also divided into separate corps in 2001. A dramatic expansion of forces under these directorates followed with the equipment procured from China
, Russia
, Ukraine
and India
.
As of 2000, the Artillery wing of the Tatmadaw has about 60 Battalion
s and 37 independent Artillery companies/batteries
attached to various Regional Military Commands (RMC), Light Infantry Divisions (LID), Military Operation Command (MOC) and Regional Operation Command (ROC)s. For example, 314th Field Artillery Battery
is under 44th LID, 326 Field Artillery Battery
is attached to 5th MOC, 074 Field Artillery Battery
is under the command of ROC (Bhamo) and 076 Field Artillery Battery
is under North-Eastern RMC. Twenty of these Artillery battalions are grouped under 707th Artillery Operation Command (AOC) headquarters in Kyaukpadaung
and 808th Artillery Operation Command (AOC) headquarters in Oaktwin, near Taungoo
. The remaining 30 battalions, including 7 Anti-Aircraft artillery battalions are under the Directorate of Artillery Corps.
Light field artillery battalions consists of 3 field artillery batteries
with 36 field gun
s or howitzer
s (12 guns per battery). Medium artillery battalions consists of 3 medium artillery batteries
of 18 field gun
s or howitzer
s (6 guns per one battery). As of 2011, all field guns of Myanmar Artillery Corps are undergoing upgrade programs including GPS Fire Control Systems.
, Ferret Armoured Cars
and Univerl Bren Carriers. These two companies were merged on 1 November 1950 to become No. 1 Armour Battalion with Headquarter in Mingalardon. On 15 May 1952 No. Tank Battalion was formed with 25 Comet Tanks
acquired from United Kingdom
. The Armour Corps within Myanmar Army was the most neglected one for nearly thirty years since the Tatmadaw did not procure any new tanks or armour carriers since 1961.
Armoured divisions, known as Armoured Operations Command (AROC), under the command of Directorate of Armour Corps, were also expanded in number from one to two, each with ten armoured battalions (five Armoured battalions equipped with Main battle Tank
s and five Mechanised Infantry battalions equipped with Infantry fighting vehicle
s and Armored personnel carriers).
In mid-2003, Tamadaw acquired 139+ T-72
Main battle Tank
s from Ukraine and signed a contract to build and equip a factory in Myanmar to produce and assemble 1,000 BTR
Armored personnel carriers in 2004. In 2006, the Government of India
transferred an unspecified number of T-55
Main battle Tank
s that were being phased out from active service to Tatmadaw along with 105 mm Light Field Guns
, armoured personnel carriers and indigenous HAL Light Attack Helicopters
in return for Tatmadaw’s support and cooperation in flushing out Indian insurgent groups operating from its soil.
equipped with 44 BMP-1
or MAV-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicle
s, Two Tanks Battalions equipped with 44 Main Battle Tanks
each, one Armored Reconnaissance
battalion
equipped with 32 Type-63A
Amphibious Light Tanks, one Field Artillery battalion
and a Support battalion. Support battalion composed of an engineer squadron
, two logistic squadrons and a signal company.
Myanmar Army has taken delivery of 150 EE-9 Cascavel
s from Israeli army(?) surplus in 2005. Although EE 9 are armoured reconnaissance vehicle
, Myanmar Army categorized them as light tank
and deploys them in eastern Shan State and triangle regions near Thai-Myanmar border.
, Ukraine
and China
. It is a tri-service bureau with units from all three branches of Myanmar Armed Forces. All Air Defence assets except Anti-Aircraft Artillery within Tatmadaw arsenal are integrated into MIADS. AAA guns are mostly unguided and deploy to use in barrage-style firing against attacking aircraft. MIADS is directly answerable to Bureau of Air Defence under Ministry of Defence.
In 2010, Myanmar Air Defense Command has completed installation of optical fiber communication network throughout the country. Those network are to be used for Air defense operations between Central Command HQ from capital & several air bases, early warning radar stations & mobile anti air craft missile & artillery units. After completion of fiber optic project & radar stations, MIADS (Myanmar Integrated Air Defense System) becomes the most advance AD system in the region.
. Each SOC transmitted data back to Intercept Operations Centers (IOC), which in turn controlled SAM
batteries and fighter
/interceptor
squadrons at various Air Bases. Each IOC was optimized to direct either SAMs or fighter
/interceptor
aircraft against incoming enemy aircraft or missile. Each IOC was connected to observer and early warning area reporting posts (RP) via military owned underground fibre optic cable network. There were about 100 radar stations located at approximately 40 sites throughout the country. New Air Defence radars such as 1L117 radars, Galaxy Early Warning Radar and P series radars are installed in all radar stations.
Each Sector Operation Center (SOC) is commanded by a Major General and it consists of one air defense division from Myanmar Army and one fighter-interceptor wing from Myanmar Air Force. Sometimes Air Defense Frigate
s from Myanmar Navy also operates under the direct command of respective SOC.
Each Air Defense division is commanded by a Brigadier General
and consists of three Air Defense Tactical Operations Command (TOC) and support units. One Medium Range Surface to Air Missile
Tactical Operations Command (MRSAM-TOC), with three battalion
s equipped with Buk M-1 or Kub missile system is deployed in an Area Defense Belt role. One Short Range Air Defense Tactical Operations Command (SHORAD-TOC), with three battalion
s equipped with Tor M-1 missile system is deployed in a Point Defense role for critical areas such as radar stations, fighter bases and SOC headquarters. One Electronic Reconnaissance Tactical Operations Command (EIR-TOC) with 6 to 8 radar and communication companies for early warnings and interdiction detection.
Each fighter-interceptor wing commanded by a Brigadier General
and is composed of three Fighter squadrons of either MiG-29 and F-7M Airguard Interceptors (ten air crafts per squadron) and their ground base support units.
In 1961, signal battalions were reorganised as No. 11 Signal Battalion under North Eastern Regional Military Command, No. 121 Signal Battalion under Eastern Command, No. 313 Signal Battalion under Central Command, No.414 Signal Battalion under South Western Command, and No. 515 Signal Battalion under South Eastern Command. No.1 Signal Training Battalion was renamed Burma Signal Training Depot (Baho-Setthweye-Tat).
By 1988, Directorate of Signals command one training depot, eight signal battalions, one signal security battalion, one signal store depot and two signal workshops. Siganl Corps under Directorate of Signal further expanded during 1990 expansion and reorganisation of Myanmar Armed Forces. By 2000, a signal battalion is attached to each Regional Military Command and signal companies are now attached to Light Infantry Divisions and Military Operations Commands.
In 2000, Command, Control and Communication
system of Myanmar Army has been substantially upgraded by setting up the military fibre optic communication network managed by Directorate of Signal throughout the country. Since 2002 all Myanmar Army Regional Military Command HQs used its own telecommunication system. Satellite communication links are also provided to forward-deployed infantry battalions. However, battle field communication systems are still poor. Infantry units are still using TRA 906 and PRM 4051 which were acquired from UK in 1980s. Myanmar Army also uses Thura (locally built TRA 906) and XD-D6M (Chinese
) radio sets. Frequency hopping handsets are fitted to all front line units.
Between 2000 to 2005, Myanmar army bought 50 units of Brett 2050 Advanced Tech radio set from Aussie through third party from Singapore. Those units are distributed to ROCs in central & upper regions to use in counterinsurgency operations.
In 19889, Directorate of Medical Services has significantly expanded along with the infantry. In 2007, there are two 1,000 bed Defence Services General Hospitals (Mingalardon and Naypyitaw), two 700-bed hospitals in Pyin Oo Lwin and Aung Ban, two 500 bed military hospitals in Meikhtila and Yangon, one 500 bed Defence Services Orthopedic Hospital in Mingalardon, two 300 bed Defence Services Obstetric, Gynecological and Children hospital (Mingalardon and Naypyitaw), three 300 bed Military Hospital (Myitkyina, Ann and Kengtung), eighteen 100 bed Military Hospitals (Mongphyet, Baan, Indaing, Bahtoo, Myeik, Pyay, Loikaw, Namsam, Lashio, Kalay, Mongsat, Dawai, Kawthaung, Laukai, Thandaung, Magway, Sittwe, and Hommalin), fourteen field medical battalions, which are attached to various Regional Military Commands throughout the country. Each Field Medical Battalion consist of 3 Field Medical Companies with 3 Field Hospital Units and a specialist team each. Health & Disease Control Unit (HDCU) is responsible for prevention, control & eradication of diseases.
The various rank of the Myanmar Army are listed below in descending order:
, Regimental Sergeant Major
s and Master Sergeant
are referred to as Sayagyi, literally meaning "Old Teacher", Sergeant
are referred to as Saya and Corporal
/Lance Corporal
as Sayalay. These unofficial ranks are used throughout the daily life of all branches. Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) within the Myanmar Armed Forces are usually seasoned veteran soldiers. Thus both Officers and enlisted men refer to them as "teacher" out of respect.
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Quantity
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Self-propelled artillery
|-
| SH 1
|
Mainland China
| 150
| 155mm self-propelled howitzer
|-
| Nora B-52
|
Serbia
| 30
| 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Towed artillery
|-
| D-30M
|
Soviet Union
| 270
| 122 mm howitzer
|-
| D-20
| Soviet Union
| 35
| delivered in 2009 from DPRK.
|-
| KH-179
|
South Korea
| 100+
| 155 mm howitzer
|-
| M48 mountain gun
|
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
| 100
| 76 mm mountain gun Issued to the Airborne Division (4 MOC )
|-
| M-845P
|
Israel
| 16
| 155 mm howitzer
|-
| Soltam M-68
| Israel
| ?
| 155 mm 33 calibre towed gun howitzer
|-
| Soltam M-71
| Israel
| ?
| 155 mm 39 calibre towed howitzer
|-
| Ordnance QF 25 pounder
|
| 50
| World War II vintage 87.6 mm howitzer . Primarily used as a training weapon
|-
| Ordnance QF 75 mm
|
| 80
| World War II vintage 122 mm howitzer
|-
| BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun
|
| 230
| World War II vintage 140 mm howitzer
|-
| Type 59-1
| Mainland China
| 160
| 130 mm field gun
|-
| Various 105 mm howitzers
| Various
| 340+
| Types: L118
, M101
, M56 and others . Most of them are locally manufactured MH-1 (version of L118 Light Gun)
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Multiple rocket launcher
s
|-
| M-1991
|
| 90
| 240 mm multiple rocket launcher (self-propelled)
|-
| Type 90B
| Mainland China
| 90
| 122 mm multiple rocket launcher (self-propelled)
|-
| Type 90
| Mainland China
| 90
| 122 mm multiple rocket launcher (self-propelled)
|-
| BM-21
| Soviet Union
| 230
| 122 mm multiple rocket launcher (self-propelled)
|-
| BM-27
| Soviet Union
| 35
| 220mm Multiple Rocket Launcher
|-
| Type 63
| Mainland China
| 48
| 107 mm multiple rocket launcher (towed)
|-
| BA-84
|
Myanmar
| 72
| 122 mm multiple rocket launcher (towed)
|}
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Quantity
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Missile systems
|-
| BAe Dynamics Bloodhound Mk.II
|
United Kingdom
|60
|Supplied by Singapore
|-
| S-75 Dvina
(SA-2 Guideline)
| Soviet Union (
Russia)
|250
| Long-range surface-to-air missile system
|-
| S-125 Neva/Pechora (SA-3 Goa)
| Soviet Union ( Russia)
| 26
| Long-range surface-to-air missile system
|-
| S-200 Angara/Vega/DubnaSA-5 Gammon
| Soviet Union ( Russia)
| 20
| Long-range surface-to-air missile system
|-
| 2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful)
| Soviet Union ( Russia)
| 60
| Self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile system
|-
| 9K37 Buk-M1-2 (SA-11 Gadfly)
| Soviet Union ( Russia)
|60
| Self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile system
|-
| 9K331M Tor-M1 (SA-15 Gauntlet)
| Soviet Union ( Russia)
| 122
| Self-propelled, short-range surface-to-air missile system
|-
| 2K22 Tunguska M-1 (SA-19 Grison)
| Soviet Union ( Russia)
| 70
| Self-propelled, short-range surface-to-air gun and missile system
|-
| 9K38 Igla (SA-18 Grouse)
| Soviet Union ( Russia)
| 400
| Very short-range portable surface-to-air missile system (MANPADS)
|-
| CPMIEC HN5
| Mainland China
| 200
| Very short-range portable surface-to-air missile system (MANPADS)
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Gun systems
|-
| Type 56
| Mainland China
| 580
| 14.5 mm heavy machine gun in quadruple mounts
|-
| Type-95 (anti-aircraft system)
| Various anti-aircraft guns
| 600
| 37 mm /40 mm /57 mm
|-
| ZU-23-2
Type-87 (anti-aircraft system)
|
| 380
| Towed 23 mm anti-aircraft twin autocannon
|-
| Bofors 40 mm
|
Sweden
| unknown
| 40 mm anti-aircraft autocannon
|}
at Company
level, 81mm BA-90 Mortar
at battalion
level and 120mm MA-6 Mortar at Tactical Operations Command (TOC) level.
Another example is Rocket and Grenade Launchers
. MA-4 Assault Rifle
with M-203 40mm Grenade Launcher
are issued at Squad
level, MA-10 Rocket Launcher
, locally manufactured version of RPG-7
, are issued at Company
level and 84mm MA-14 Recoilless Gun, locally manufactured version of Carl Gustav M-2
, at battalion
level.
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Quantity
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Mortars
|-
| Various mortars
| Various
| 2400+
| 60 mm (BA 100) / 81 mm (BA-90) / 120 mm (MA-6)
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Rocket Launchers and Recoilless Guns
|-
| M-18
|
| N/A
| 57 mm
|-
| Type 36
| Mainland China
| N/A
| 57 mm
|-
| M-20 Super Bazooka
|
United States
| 200
| 75 mm / 3.5 inch
|-
| Type 52 Rocket Launchers
| Mainland China
| N/A
| 75 mm
|-
| Type 56 Rocket Laungers
| Mainland China
| N/A
| 75 mm
|-
| Type 65
| Mainland China
| N/A
| 82 mm
|-
| Type 78
| Mainland China
| N/A
| 82 mm
|-
| Carl Gustav M-2
| Sweden
| 1800
| 84 mm (locally manufactured as MA-14)
|-
| M40 recoilless rifle
| United States
| N/A
| 106 mm
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Heavy Machine guns
|-
| 0.50 Cal. Browning M2HB Heavy Machine Gun
| United States
| N/A
| 0.5 Calibre
|-
| 12.7mm NSV Heavy Machine Gun
| Russia
| N/A
|
|-
|12.7mm Type 85 Heavy Machine Gun
| Mainland China
| N/A
|
|-
|20mm Hispano Suiza Mk 5 Automatic Cannon
| Sweden
| N/A
|
|-
|}
(LMG). This was essentially the G3
assault rifle fitted with heavy barrel, bi-pod and carrying handle. The G4 replaced the British 0.30in Bren LMG. Company fire support generally consisted of German
-designed 7.62 mm MG3 General-purpose machine guns (made in Myanmar's own Ka Pa Sa factories) and the Belgian
7.62 mm FN MAG
GPMG.
After modernization program, General Purpose Machine Guns and Light Machine Guns are distributed as follow: MA-2 5.56mm Light Machine Gun
for Squad
Fire Support, MA- 15 7.62 mm General Purpose Machine Gun
, locally manufactured version of German
MG3 in Company
machine gun platoon
and 12.7mm Type 85 Heavy Machine Gun
or 0.50 Cal. Browning M2HB in battalion
heavy weapon company.
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Calibre
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
|Browning M1919A4
|
Belgium
| .30 calibre
| Supplied by USA through Military Assistance Programme during the 70s
|-
|Bren LMG
| United Kingdom
|.303 British
| World War II vintage, phased out from active units and transferred to Myanmar Police Force
battalions and People Militia
units
|-
|Bren L4A4 LMG
| United Kingdom
| 7.62 x 51 mm NATO
| phased out from active units and transferred to Myanmar Police Force
battalion
s and People Militia
units
|-
|BA-64
| Myanmar
|7.62 x 51 mm NATO
|Locally manufactured Light Machine Gun
version of German
G3
equipped with heavy barrel, bi-pod and carrying handle
|-
|MA-2
| Myanmar
|5.56 x 45 mm NATO
|Locally manufactured Light Machine Gun
version of IMI Galil
ARM equipped with heavy barrel, folding bi-pod, carrying handle and wooden hand guard. Standard issued Squad Fire Support
|-
|MA15
| Myanmar
|7.62 x 51 mm NATO
| Locally manufactured German
MG3 General Purpose Machine Gun
, Standard issued Company Fire Support
|-
|FN MAG
| Belgium
|7.62 x 51 mm NATO
|
|-
|}
, a locally produced version of the Heckler & Koch G3
. Myanmar also produced a shorter, lighter carbine
version of the same rifle under the designation BA-72, simply known as the G2 and Light machine gun
variant, known as BA-64 or G4, equipped with heavy barrel, folding bipod, and carrying handle. A fourth version of the G3 with integral scope attached, known as the BA-100, was more accurate and reliable, but was primarily used as a sniper's weapon.
Many soldiers, mainly officers and NCO, still carried 0.30 caliber
M1 and M2 carbines
provided by the US in the 1950s under the Military Assistance Program (MAP). These world war two vintage carbines are ideal for jungle warfare.
From the beginning of 2002, 7.62 mm BA series assault rifles have been gradually replaced by 5.56x45mm NATO
MA-series assault rifles in Myanmar Army's front line units, tested earlier as the EMERK-3. MA-series assault rifles are identical to Israeli GALIL
rifle family and fire 5.56x45mm NATO
NATO rounds. From the beginning of 2011, Myanmar Army start producing so many Heckler & Koch HK33 assault rifles for Myanmar Army's front line units, as MA-12.
As side-arm, officers used the 9mm SIG Sauer P226 semi-automatic pistol locally manufactured under license as MA-6.
TE 11/21 trucks, and they had to rely on civil transport systems. After the 1988 military coup, with the starting of the defence modernization programme, Myanmar started to acquire hundreds of logistic vehicle mainly from China. In 1992, Myanmar Army bought 4,000 6 ton 4x2 FAW and Dongfeng EQ1093 trucks form China and delivery completed in 1995. However due to maintenance problems with the earlier TE 11 and 21, Myanmar Army again signed contract with China to buy 4,000 Jiefang CA1091 4x2 5 ton trucks.
Again in 1997, Myanmar Army acquired 1,000 Dongfeng EQ2102 3.5 tonne 6X6 military utility trucks and 200 Shaanqi SX 2190 6X6 military utility trucks for newly formed artillery units for towing guns. However during border clashes with neighbouring Thailand in 2002, Myanmar Army found difficulties with the existing 4x2 military trucks and then they acquired 3,000 Dongfeng EQ2102 3.5 tonne 6X6 military utility trucks. These trucks were delivered at China-Myanmar border town of Shwe Li between 2003 and 2006. In 2007 November, China has agreed to supply another 1,500 EQ2102 3.5 tonne 6x6 military utility trucks to Myanmar Military. As part of that agreement Myanmar has taken delivery of first batch of 350 EQ 2102 trucks in 2008 April and 650 trucks are to deliver in June.
Myanmar ordinance factories started assembling Chinese
Aeolus 4x2 6 tonne military utility trucks in 1997. Myanmar Army is now believed to be operating more than 6,000 Aeolus trucks.
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Quantity
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Trucks
|-
| Hino Motors
TE 11/21
|
| 1,000
| Now being phased out
|-
|Jiefang Motors EQ1093 truck
| Mainland China
| 4,000
| 4x2 5ton trucks
|-
| Jiefang Motors EQ1091 truck
| Mainland China
| 4,000
| 4x2 5ton trucks
|-
|Aeolus
| Myanmar
|6,000
|4x2 5 ton trucks
|-
|Jiefang Motors EQ2102
| Mainland China
|6,000
|6x6 3.5 ton truck
|-
|Shaanqi Motors SX 2190
| Mainland China
|200
|6x6 3.5 ton trucks
|-
|FSC Star 266
|
Poland
|
|6x6 6 ton
|-
|FAW CA6110
| Mainland China
|
|6x6 6ton
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Utility
|-
|Toyota Land Cruiser
|
|
|issued for Generals officers (OF-6 and above)
|-
|Toyota Tiger Double Cub
|
|
|issued for colonels (OF-4 and OF-5)
|-
|grand tiger
|
|3,000
|Used by Infantry Regiment for their front line logistic
|-
|Isuzu Trooper
|
|2,000
|Used by LIDs for their front line logistic
|-
|Jiefang Motors Langian
|
|
|Urban utility vehicles (non-combative)
|-
|Chin Dwin Star
|
|
|High Mobility Vehicle (locally reverse engineered AMC Hummer
)
|}
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
. The Myanmar Army is the largest branch of the Armed Forces of Myanmar and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. The Myanmar Army maintains the second largest active force in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
after Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
's Vietnam People's Army
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
.
The Myanmar Army has a troop strength around 492,000. The army has extensive combat experience in fighting insurgents in rough terrains, considering it has been conducting non-stop counter-insurgency
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
operations against ethnic and political insurgents since its inception in 1948.
The force is headed by the Commander in Chief (Army), currently Lieutenant General Soe Win
Soe Win
General Soe Win was the Prime Minister of Burma and Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council from 2004 to 2007. He was known by Burmese dissident groups as "the butcher of Depayin" for his role as mastermind of the 2003 Depayin Massacre, in which 70 National League for Democracy...
with General Min Aung Hlaing as the Commander in Chief. The highest rank in the Myanmar Army was Senior General, equivalent to Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
position in Western Armies and was held by Senior General Than Shwe
Than Shwe
Senior General Than Shwe is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and...
.
In 2011, following transition from military junta government to civilian parliamentary government, the Myanmar Army enacted a military draft for all citizens, all males from the age 18 to 35 and all females age between 18 and 27 years of age can be drafted into military service for two years as enlisted personal in time of national emergency. The ages for professionals are up to 45 for men and 35 for women for three years service as commissioned and non commissioned officers.
An official publication has revealed that almost one-quarter of Myanmar's new national budget will be allocated to defense. The Government Gazette reports that 1.8 trillion kyat (about $2 billion at free market rates of exchange), or 23.6 percent of the 2011 budget will go to defense.
Post Independence era
At the time of Myanmar's independence in 1948, the Tatmadaw was weak, small and disunited. Cracks appeared along the lines of ethnic background, political affiliation, organizational origin and different services. Its unity and operational efficiency was further weakened by the interference of civilians and politicians in military affairs, and the perception gap between the staff officers and field commanders. The most serious problem was the tension between ethnic KarenKaren people
The Karen or Kayin people , are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group which resides primarily in southern and southeastern Burma . The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people...
Officers, coming from the British Burma Army and Burman
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
(Bamar) officers, coming from the Patriotic Burmese Force (PBF).
In accordance with agreement reached at Kandy Conference in September 1945, the Tatmadaw was reorganised by incorporating the British Burma Army and the Patriotic Burmese Force. The officer corps shared by ex-PBF officers and officers from British Burma Army and Army of Burma Reserve Organization (ARBO). The British also decided to form what were known as "Class Battalions" based on ethnicity. There were a total of 15 rifle battalions at the time of independence and four of them were made up of former members of PBF. All influential positions within the War Office and commands were manned with non-former PBF Officers. All services including military engineers, supply and transport, ordnance and medical services, Navy and Air Force were all commanded by former Officers from ABRO and British Burma Army.
| Ethnic and Army Composition of Tatmadaw in 1948 | |
|---|---|
| Battalion | Ethnic/Army Composition |
| No. 1 Burma Rifles Burma Rifles The Burma Rifles were a regiment of the British Indian Army created in 1917. The regiment re-used the name of an unrelated earlier unit, the 10th Regiment Madras Infantry, which evolved into the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles.... |
Bamar (Burma Military Police Military police Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:... ) |
| No. 2 Burma Rifles Burma Rifles The Burma Rifles were a regiment of the British Indian Army created in 1917. The regiment re-used the name of an unrelated earlier unit, the 10th Regiment Madras Infantry, which evolved into the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles.... |
Karen Karen Karen may refer to:* Karen people, an ethnic group in Burma and Thailand** Karen languages, spoken by the Karen people* Karen , a given name )* Karen , an NBC sitcom starring Debbie Watson... majority + Other Non-Bamar Nationalities |
| No. 3 Burma Rifles Burma Rifles The Burma Rifles were a regiment of the British Indian Army created in 1917. The regiment re-used the name of an unrelated earlier unit, the 10th Regiment Madras Infantry, which evolved into the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles.... |
Bamar / Former members of Patriotic Burmese Force |
| No. 4 Burma Rifles Burma Rifles The Burma Rifles were a regiment of the British Indian Army created in 1917. The regiment re-used the name of an unrelated earlier unit, the 10th Regiment Madras Infantry, which evolved into the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles.... |
Bamar / Former members of Patriotic Burmese Force - Commanded by the then Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence... Ne Win Ne Win Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981... |
| No. 5 Burma Rifles Burma Rifles The Burma Rifles were a regiment of the British Indian Army created in 1917. The regiment re-used the name of an unrelated earlier unit, the 10th Regiment Madras Infantry, which evolved into the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles.... |
Bamar / Former members of Patriotic Burmese Force |
| No. 6 Burma Rifles Burma Rifles The Burma Rifles were a regiment of the British Indian Army created in 1917. The regiment re-used the name of an unrelated earlier unit, the 10th Regiment Madras Infantry, which evolved into the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles.... |
Bamar / Former members of Patriotic Burmese Force |
| No. 1 Karen Rifles Karen Karen may refer to:* Karen people, an ethnic group in Burma and Thailand** Karen languages, spoken by the Karen people* Karen , a given name )* Karen , an NBC sitcom starring Debbie Watson... |
Karen / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO |
| No. 2 Karen Rifles Karen Karen may refer to:* Karen people, an ethnic group in Burma and Thailand** Karen languages, spoken by the Karen people* Karen , a given name )* Karen , an NBC sitcom starring Debbie Watson... |
Karen / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO |
| No. 3 Karen Rifles Karen Karen may refer to:* Karen people, an ethnic group in Burma and Thailand** Karen languages, spoken by the Karen people* Karen , a given name )* Karen , an NBC sitcom starring Debbie Watson... |
Karen / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO |
| No. 1 Kachin Rifles Kachin Kachin or Kakhyen may refer to:*Kachin State, in northern Burma*Kachin people, a generalised term for six non-Shan ethno-linguistic groups in Kachin State... |
Kachin / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO |
| No. 2 Kachin Rifles Kachin Kachin or Kakhyen may refer to:*Kachin State, in northern Burma*Kachin people, a generalised term for six non-Shan ethno-linguistic groups in Kachin State... |
Kachin / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO |
| No. 1 Chin Rifles Chin In the human anatomy, the chin is the lowermost part of the face.It is formed by the lower front of the mandible.People show a wide variety of chin structures. See Cleft chin.... |
Chin / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO |
| No. 2 Chin Rifles Chin In the human anatomy, the chin is the lowermost part of the face.It is formed by the lower front of the mandible.People show a wide variety of chin structures. See Cleft chin.... |
Chin / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO |
| No. 4 Burma Regiment | Gorkha |
| Chin Hill Battalion | Chin |
Formation and structure
The Army has always been by far the largest service in Myanmar and has always received the lion's share of the defence budget. It has played the most prominent part in Myanmar's struggle against the 40 or more insurgent groups since 1948 and acquired a reputation as a tough and resourceful military force. In 1981, it was described as 'probably the best armyArmy
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, apart from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
's'. The judgement was echoed in 1983, when another observer noted that "Myanmar's infantry is generally rated as one of the toughest, most combat seasoned in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
".
In 1985, a foreign journalist with the rare experience of seeing Burmese soldiers in action against ethnic insurgents and narco-armies was 'thoroughly impressed by their fighting skills, endurance and discipline'. Other commentators throughout that time characterised the Myanmar Army as 'the toughest, most effective light infantry jungle force now operating in Southeast Asia'. Even the Thais
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, not known to praise the Burmese lightly, have described the Myanmar Army as 'skilled in the art of jungle warfare
Jungle warfare
Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain.It has been the topic of extensive study by military strategists, and was an important part of the planning for both sides in many conflicts, including World War II and the...
'.
Organization
Myanmar Army had reached some 370,000 active troops in all ranks in the year 2000. There were 337 infantry battalions, including 266 light infantryLight infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
battalions. Although the Myanmar Army's organisational structure was based upon the regimental system
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
, the basic manoeuvre and fighting unit is the battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, known as Tat Yinn in Burmese, which comprised a headquarters unit; four rifle companies (tat khwe) with three rifle platoons (Tat Su) each; an administration company with medical, transport, logistics and signals units; a heavy weapons company including mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
, machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
and recoilless gun platoons. Each battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
is commanded a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
(du bo hmu gyi) with a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
(bo hmu) as 2IC (Second in Command), with a total establishment strength of 27 officers and 723 other ranks. Light infantry
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s in Myanmar Army have much lower establishment strength of around 500; this often leads to these units being mistakenly identified by the observers and reporters as under strength infantry battalions.
With its significantly increased personnel numbers, weaponry and mobility, today's Tatmadaw Kyee is a formidable conventional defence force for the Union of Myanmar. Troops ready for combat duty have at least doubled since 1988. Logistics infrastructure and Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
Fire Support has been greatly increased. Its newly acquired military might was apparent in the Tatmadaw's dry season operations against Karen National Union
Karen National Union
The Karen National Union is a political organisation with an armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army that represents the Karen people of Burma. It operates in Eastern Burma, and has underground networks in other areas of Burma where Karen people live. In Karen, this Karen area is called...
(KNU) strongholds in Manerplaw
Manerplaw
Manerplaw is a city in the Kayin State of Burma and is also the suggested capital of the proposed Kawthoolei state that the Karen people of Burma have been trying to establish since the late 1940s. The headquarters of the Karen National Union were located in Manerplaw until January 1995.The...
and Kawmura. Most of the casualties at these battles were the result of intense and heavy bombardment by the Tatmadaw Kyee. Not only that Tatmadaw Kyee is now much larger than it was in pre-1988, it is more mobile and has greatly improved armour, artillery and air defence inventories. Its C3I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence) systems have been expanded and refined. It is developing larger and more integrated, self-sustained formations which should lend themselves to better coordinated action by different combat arms. The army may still have relatively modest weaponry compared to its larger neighbours, but it is now in a much better position to deter external aggression and respond to such a threat should it ever arise except child soldiers may not perform very well in combating with enemies.
Expansion
The first army divisionDivision (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
to be formed after the 1988 military coup
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
was the 11th Light Infantry
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
(LID) in December 1988 with Col. Win Myint as commander of the division. In March 1990, a new regional military command was opened in Monywa
Monywa
Monywa is a city in Sagaing Division, Myanmar, located 136 km northwest of Mandalay on the eastern bank of the River Chindwin.-Transport:...
with Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Kyaw Min as commander and named North-Western Regional Military Command. A year later 101st LID was formed in Pakokku
Pakokku
Pakokku or Pa Kok Ku is a town in the Magway Division in Myanmar. It is situated about 30 km northwest of Bagan on the Ayeyarwady River. It is the second most important education center for Sangha after Mandalay. It is the administration seat of Pakokku Township and Pakokku District.The town...
with Col. Saw Tun as commander. Two Regional Operations Commands (ROC) were formed in Myeik and Loikaw
Loikaw
Loikaw is the capital of Kayah State in Burma . It is located near the State's northern tip, just above an embayment on the Pilu River. The inhabitants are mostly Kayah...
to facilitate command and control. They were commanded respectively by Brigadier Soe Tint and Brigadier Maung Kyi. March 1995 saw a dramatic expansion of the Tatmadaw as it established 11 Military Operations Commands (MOC)s in that month. MOC are similar to Mechanized Infantry
Mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....
Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
s in western armies, each with 10 regular infantry battalions (Chay Hlyin Tatyin), a headquarters, and organic support units including field artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
batteries. Then in 1996, two new RMC were opened, Coastal Region RMC was opened in Myeik with Brigadier Sit Maung as commander and Triangle Region RMC in Kengtung with Brigadier Thein Sein as commander. Their new ROCs were opened in Kalay, Bhamo
Bhamo
Bhamo is a city of Kachin State in northernmost part of Myanmar, located 186 km south from the capital city of Myitkyina. It is on the Ayeyarwady River. It lies within 65 km of the border with Yunnan Province, China. The population consists of Chinese and Shan, with Kachin peoples in...
and Mongsat. In late 1998, two new MOCs were opened in Bokepyin and Mongsat.
The most significant expansion after the infantry in the army was in armour and artillery. Beginning in 1990, the Tatmadaw procured 18 T-69II
Type 59
The Type 59 main battle tank is a Chinese produced version of the Soviet T-54A tank, an improvement over the ubiquitous T-54/55. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service in 1959, with serial production beginning in 1963...
Main Battle tanks
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
and 48 T-63
PT-76
The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank which was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other friendly states, like India, Iraq, North Korea and North Vietnam. Overall,...
amphibious light tank
Light tank
A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major...
s from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Further procurements were made, including several hundred Type 85 and Type 92
WZ551
The WZ551 is a Chinese wheeled armored personnel carrier. It is actually consisted of two families of vehicles with official designations in the People's Liberation Army as Type 90 and Type 92. Roughly 600 WZ551s are in service with the PLA, where they are used by light mechanized infantry units...
Armoured Personnel Carriers
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
(APC). By the beginning of 1998, Tatmadaw had about 100+ T-69II
Type 59
The Type 59 main battle tank is a Chinese produced version of the Soviet T-54A tank, an improvement over the ubiquitous T-54/55. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service in 1959, with serial production beginning in 1963...
Main battle tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
s, a similar number of T-63
PT-76
The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank which was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other friendly states, like India, Iraq, North Korea and North Vietnam. Overall,...
amphibious light tanks and several T-59D
Type 59
The Type 59 main battle tank is a Chinese produced version of the Soviet T-54A tank, an improvement over the ubiquitous T-54/55. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service in 1959, with serial production beginning in 1963...
tanks. These tanks and armoured personnel carriers were distributed into five armoured infantry battalions and five tank battalions and formed the first Armoured Division of the Tatmadaw under the name of 71st Armoured Operations Command with its headquarters in Pyawbwe.
Chief of Staffs and Commander in Chiefs
Up until 1990, Myanmar Armed Forces has Chief of StaffChief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
system and Myanmar Army was led by Vice Chief of Staff (Army). A new system was introduced in 1990 during Armed Forces reorganisation and all three branches of Armed Forces are now led by Commander-in-Chief.
| Serial | Name & Rank | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC5107 | Brigadier General Brigadier General Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000... Saw Kyar Doe |
1948 | Karen Officer, Forced to retire due to civil war with Karen |
| BC3502 | Brigadier General Brigadier General Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000... Ne Win Ne Win Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981... |
1948–1949 | Member of Thirty Comrades Thirty Comrades The Thirty Comrades constituted the embryo of the modern Burmese army called the Burma Independence Army which was formed to fight for independence from Britain... , Later became President and Chairman of Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) |
| BC5458 | Brigadier General Brigadier General Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000... Aung Gyi Aung Gyi Aung Gyi was a member of General Ne Win's 4th Burma Rifles rising to Brigadier General. Aung Gyi was a Chinese descendant and he had a very typical Chinese name Chen Tianwang in addition to the more commonly used Ang Ji . He played a role in the caretaker government of 1958-60 led by Ne Win... |
1956–1963 | |
| BC3569 | Brigadier General Brigadier General Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000... San Yu |
1963–1972 | Later became President President of Burma The President of Burma is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and leads the executive branch of the Burmese government, and heads the Cabinet of Burma. The president is elected by members of parliament, not by the general population. The Presidential... |
| BC3651 | Brigadier General Brigadier General Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000... Thura Tin Oo Tin Oo General Thura Tin Oo is a retired general, former commander in chief of the armed forces of Union of Myanmar, highly decorated soldier, pro-democracy activist and deputy leader of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar.- Military career:... |
1972–1974 | Dismissed and imprisoned for involvement in coup attempt, later became Vice-Chairman of National League for Democracy National League for Democracy The National League for Democracy is a Burmese political party founded on 27 September 1988. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi serves as its General Secretary. The party won a substantial parliamentary majority in the 1990 Burmese general election. However, the ruling military junta... |
| BC5332 | Brigadier General Brigadier General Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000... Thura Kyaw Htin Kyaw Htin General Thura Kyaw Htin is the former Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Union of Myanmar and a highly decorated soldier.-Military career:... |
1974–1976 | Later became Prime Minister |
| BC6133 | Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General.... Aye Ko Aye Ko Lieutenant General Aye Ko is the former Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Union of Myanmar.-Military career:Aye Ko joined Myanmar Armed Forces on 20 April 1952 as Second Lieutenant for 2nd Company in No. 15 Infantry Battalion. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 April 1953. He... |
1976–1981 | Later became Vice President |
| BC5096 | Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General.... Tun Ye |
1981–1983 | |
| BC6187 | Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General.... Saw Maung Saw Maung Senior General Saw Maung was the founder of the State Peace and Development Council in Myanmar. He served as their Chairman from 1988 to 1992.-Early life and career:... |
1983–1985 | later promoted to Senior General, coup in 1988 and formed States Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) |
| BC6710 | Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General.... Than Shwe Than Shwe Senior General Than Shwe is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and... |
1985–1992 | later promoted to Senior General and Chairman of State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) |
| Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General.... Maung Aye Maung Aye Vice-Senior General Maung Aye is the former Vice Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council , which was until March 2011, the ruling military junta of Burma. Maung Aye was the second highest-ranking member of the SPDC.... |
1993 - 31/3/2011 | later promoted to Vice Senior General | |
| Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General.... Soe Win Soe Win General Soe Win was the Prime Minister of Burma and Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council from 2004 to 2007. He was known by Burmese dissident groups as "the butcher of Depayin" for his role as mastermind of the 2003 Depayin Massacre, in which 70 National League for Democracy... |
1/4/2011- | ||
Bureau of Special Operations (BSO)
Bureau of Special Operations in Myanmar Army are high-level field units equivalent to Field Army GroupField army
A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
in Western terms and consist of 2 or more Regional Military Commands (RMC) and commanded by a Lieutenant-General and 6 staff officers. The units were introduced under the General Staff Office
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
on 28 April 1978 and 1 June 1979. In early 1978, the then Chairman of BSPP General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Ne Win
Ne Win
Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981...
visited the North Eastern Command Headquarters in Lashio to receive a briefing about Burmese Communist Party (BCP) insurgents and their military operations. He was accompanied by Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Tun Ye from Ministry of Defence. Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Tun Ye was the regional commander of Eastern Command for three years and before that he served in North Eastern Command areas as commander of Strategic Operation Command (SOC) and commander for Light Infantry
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
Division for four years. As BCP military operations were spread across three Regional Military Command (RMC) areas (Northern, Eastern and North Eastern), Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Tun Ye was the most informed commander about the BCP in Myanmar Army at the time. At the briefing, General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Ne Win
Ne Win
Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981...
was impressed by Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Tun Ye and realized that coordination among various Regional Military Commands (RMC) was necessary; thus, decided to form a bureau at the Ministry of Defence. Originally, the bureau was for "special operations", wherever they were, that needed coordination among various Regional Military Commands (RMC). Later, with introduction of another bureau, there was a division of command areas. The BSO-1 was to oversee the operations under the Northern Command, North Eastern Command, the Eastern Command, and the North Western Command. BSO-2 was to oversee operations under the South Eastern Command, South Western Command, Western Command and Central Command. Initially, the chief of the BSO had the rank of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
. The rank was upgraded to Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
on 23 April 1979. in 1990, it was further upgraded to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
. Between 1995 and 2002, Chief of Staff (Army) jointly held the position of Chief of BSO. However, in early 2002, two more BSO were added to the General Staff Office; therefore there were altogether four BSOs. The fifth BSO was established in 2005 and the sixth in 2007.
Currently there are Six Bureaus of Special Operations in Myanmar order of Battle.
| Bureau of Special Operations | Regional Military Commands (RMC) |
|---|---|
| Bureau of Special Operations 1 | Central Command North Western Command Northern Command |
| Bureau of Special Operations 2 | North Eastern Command Eastern Command Triangle Region Command |
| Bureau of Special Operations 3 | South Western Command Southern Command Western Command |
| Bureau of Special Operations 4 | Coastal Command South Eastern Command |
| Bureau of Special Operations 5 | Yangon Command |
| Bureau of Special Operations 6 | Naypyidaw Command |
Regional Military Commands (RMC)
For better command and communication, the Tatmadaw formed Regional Military Commands structure in 1958. Until 1961, there were only two regional commands, they were supported by 13 Infantry brigades and an infantry division. In October 1961, new regional military commands were opened and leaving only two independent infantry brigades. In June 1963, the Naypyidaw Command was temporarily formed in YangonYangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
with the deputy commander and some staff officers drawn from Central Command. It was reorganised and renamed as Yangon Command on 1 June 1965.
A total of 337 infantry and light infantry battalions organised in Tactical Operations Commands, 37 independent field artillery regiments supported by affiliated support units including armoured reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
battalions. RMCs are similar to corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
formations in Western armies. The RMCs, commanded by Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
rank officer, are managed through a framework of Bureau of Special Operations (BSOs), which are equivalent to Field Army Group
Field army
A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
in Western terms.
| Regional Military Command (RMC) | Badge | States & Divisions | Headquarters | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Command |
Kachin State Kachin State Kachin State , is the northernmost state of Burma. It is bordered by China to the north and east; Shan State to the south; and Sagaing Division and India to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is . The capital of the... |
Myitkyina Myitkyina Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar , located from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river", and in fact "Myitkyina" lies on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, just below from Myit-son of its two headstreams... |
33 Infantry Battalions | |
| North Eastern Command |
Northern Shan State Shan State Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total... |
Lashio Lashio Lashio is the largest town in northern Shan State, Myanmar, about northeast of Mandalay. It is situated on a low mountain spur overlooking the valley of the Nam Yao river. The population grew from around 5000 in 1960 to 88,590 in 1983. It is currently estimated at around 130,000.Lashio is the... |
30 Infantry Battalions | |
| Eastern Command |
Southern Shan State | Taunggyi Taunggyi -Transportation:The main access to Taunggyi is by road. A railway line that passes through Taunggyi was recently built in 1995, but at the moment it offers no passenger service. Regular railway passenger service to the rest of the country is through the town of Shwenyaung, twelve miles to the... |
42 Infantry Battalions including 16× Light Infantry Battalions under Regional Operation Command (ROC) Headquarters at Loikaw |
|
| South Eastern Command |
Mon Mon State Mon State is an administrative division of Myanmar. It is sandwiched between Kayin State on the east, the Andaman Sea on the west, Bago Region on the north and Tanintharyi Region on the south, and has a short border with Thailand's Kanchanaburi Province at its south-eastern tip. The land area is... and Kayin Kayin State Kayin State is a state of Burma . The capital city is Hpa-an.-History:The region that forms today's Kayin State was part of successive Burmese kingdoms since the formation of the Pagan Empire in mid-11th century... (Karen) States |
Mawlamyaing (Moulmein) | 36 Infantry Battalions | |
| Southern Command |
Bago Bago Division Bago Region is an administrative region of Burma, located in the southern central part of the country. It is bordered by Magway Region and Mandalay Region to the north; Kayin State, Mon State and the Gulf of Martaban to the east; Yangon Region to the south and Ayeyarwady Region and Rakhine State... and Magwe Divisions |
Toungoo | 27 × Infantry Battalions | |
| South Western Command |
Ayeyarwady Division Ayeyarwady Division Ayeyarwady Region is a region of Myanmar, occupying the delta region of the Ayeyarwady River . It is bordered by Bago Region to the north, Bago Region and Yangon Region to the east, and the Bay of Bengal to the south and west... (Irrawaddy Division) |
Pathein Pathein Pathein , also called Bassein, is a port city with a 2004 population estimated at 215,600, and the capital of the Ayeyarwady Region, Burma. It lies on the Pathein River , which is a western branch of the Irrawaddy River.... (Bassein) |
11 × Infantry Battalions | |
| Western Command |
Rakhine Rakhine State Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between... (Arakan) and Chin Chin State Chin State is a state located in western Burma . The Chin State is bordered by Rakhine State in the south, Bangladesh in south-west, Sagaing Division and Magway Division in the east, Indian state of Manipur in the north and Indian state of Mizoram in the west. The Chin ethnic group make up the... States |
Ann Ann, Burma Ann is a town in the Rakhine State of western Burma. It is served by Ann Airport.-External links:*... |
33 × Infantry Battalions | |
| North Western Command |
Sagaing Division Sagaing Division Sagaing Region is an administrative region of Burma , located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and longitude 94° 97' east... |
Monywa Monywa Monywa is a city in Sagaing Division, Myanmar, located 136 km northwest of Mandalay on the eastern bank of the River Chindwin.-Transport:... |
25 × Infantry Battalions | |
| Yangon Command |
Yangon Division Yangon Division Yangon Region is an administrative region of Myanmar. Located in the heart of Lower Myanmar, the division is bordered by Bago Region in the north and east, the Gulf of Martaban in the south, and Ayeyarwady Region in the west. Yangon Region is dominated by its capital city of Yangon, the former... |
Mayangone Township-Kone-Myint-Thar | 11 × Infantry Battalions | |
| Coastal Region Command |
Tanintharyi Division Tanintharyi Division Tanintharyi Region , is an administrative region of Myanmar, covering the long narrow southern part of the country on the Kra Isthmus. It borders with the Andaman Sea to the west and with the Tenasserim Hills, beyond which lies Thailand, to the east. To the north is the Mon State. The capital of... (Tenassarim Division) |
Myeik (Mergui Mergui Myeik is a city in Tanintharyi Division in Myanmar , located in the extreme south of the country on the coast of an island on the Andaman Sea. the estimated population was over 209,000. The area inland from the city is a major smuggling corridor into Thailand.-History:Myeik was the southernmost... ) |
43 Infantry Battalions including battalions under 2 MOC based at Tavoy |
|
| Triangle Region Command |
Eastern Shan State | Kyaingtong (Kengtung) | 23 Infantry Battalions | |
| Central Command |
Mandalay Division Mandalay Division Mandalay Region is an administrative division of Myanmar. It is located in the center of the country, bordering Sagaing Region and Magway Region to the west, Shan State to the east, and Bago Region and Kayin State to the south. The regional capital is Mandalay. In the south of the division lies... |
Mandalay Mandalay Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region .... |
17 Infantry Battalions | |
| Naypyidaw Command |
Naypyidaw Naypyidaw Naypyidaw is the capital city of Burma, also known as Myanmar. It is administered as the Naypyidaw Union Territory, as per the 2008 Constitution. On 6 November 2005, the administrative capital of Myanmar was officially moved to a greenfield 3.2 km west of Pyinmana, and approximately... |
Pyinmana Pyinmana Pyinmana ) is a logging town and sugarcane refinery center in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. The administrative capital of Myanmar was officially moved to a militarized greenfield site two miles west of Pyinmana on November 6, 2005. Pyinmana is approximately north of Yangon... |
Formed in 2006 - ? × Infantry Battalions |
Commanders of Regional Military Commands
| Regional Military Command (RMC) | Established | First Commander | Current Commander | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naypyidaw Command | 2005 | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Maung Maung Aye |
||
| Eastern Command | 1961 | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... San Oo |
||
| North Eastern Command | 1972 | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Aung Kyaw Zaw |
||
| South Eastern Command | 1961 | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Htun Nay Lin |
||
| Central Command | 1961 | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Ye Aung |
Original Southern Command in Taungoo was renamed Central Command in March, 1990 | |
| Western Command | 1972 | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Soe Thein |
||
| North Western Command | 1961 | Brigadier General Brigadier General Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000... Kyaw Min |
Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Soe Lwin |
Original North western Command in Mandalay Mandalay Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region .... was renamed Central Command in March, 1990 |
| South Western Command | 1961 | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Tin Maung Win |
||
| Northern Command | 1972 | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Zay Yar Aung |
||
| Southern Command | 1972 | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Soe Htut |
||
| Traingle Region Command | 1996 | Brigadier General Brigadier General Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000... Thein Sein Thein Sein Thein Sein is a Burmese politician and military figure who has been president of Myanmar since March 2011. Previously, he was Prime Minister from 2007 until 2011... |
Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Than Tun Oo |
Thein Sein Thein Sein Thein Sein is a Burmese politician and military figure who has been president of Myanmar since March 2011. Previously, he was Prime Minister from 2007 until 2011... later became Prime Minister and elected as President in 2011 |
| Coastal Region Command | 1996 | Brigadier General Brigadier General Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000... Thiha Thura Thura Sit Maung |
Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Khin Maung Htay |
Sit Maung was killed in Helicopter crash along with the then Chief of Staff (Army) Lt. General Tin Oo in 19 Feb 2001. |
| Yangon Command | 1965 | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Tun Than |
Formed as Naypyidaw Command in 1963 with deputy commander and some staff officers from Central Command. Renamed Yangon Command on 1 June 1965. |
Regional Operations Commands (ROC)
Regional Operations Commands (ROC, or Da Ka Sa in Myanmar) are commanded by a Brigadier General, are similar to infantry brigadeBrigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s in Western Armies. Each consists of 4 Infantry battalions (Chay Hlyin Tatyin), HQ and organic support units. Commander of ROC is a position between LID/MOC commander and tactical Operation Command (TOC) commander, who commands only three infantry battalions. However, ROC commander enjoys financial, administrative and judicial authority while the MOC and LID commander does not have judicial authority.
| Regional Operation Command (ROC) | Headquarters | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Loikaw Regional Operations Command | Loikaw Loikaw Loikaw is the capital of Kayah State in Burma . It is located near the State's northern tip, just above an embayment on the Pilu River. The inhabitants are mostly Kayah... |
|
| Laukai Regional Operations Command | Laukai | |
| Kalay Regional Operations Command | Kalay | |
| Sittwe Regional Operations Command | Sittwe Sittwe -Economy:In February 2007, India announced a plan to develop the port, which would enable ocean access from Indian Northeastern states, so called "Seven sisters", like Mizoram, via the Kaladan River.... |
|
| Pyay Regional Operations Command | Pyay Pyay Pyay is a town in the Bago Division in Burma. It has an estimated population of 123,800 . Pyay is positioned on the Ayeyarwady River and is northwest of Yangon.... |
|
| Tanaing Regional Operations Command | Tanaing | Formerly ROC Bahmaw |
| Wanhseng Regional Operations Command | Wanhseng | Formed in 2011 |
Military Operations Commands (MOC)
Military Operations Commands (MOC) , commanded by a Brigadier-General, are similar to InfantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
divisions
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
in Western Armies. Each consists of 10 Mechanized Infantry
Mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....
battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s equipped with BTR-3
BTR-3
The BTR-3 is an 8×8-wheeled armored personnel carrier was designed by Adcom Manufacturing from UAE in 2000/2001 and manufactured by KMDB in Ukraine. The most significant of exports was to the Myanmar Army which acquired 1,000 BTR-3Us, to be assembled in Myanmar...
Armored Personnel Carriers, Headquarters and support units including field artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
batteries. These ten battalions are organized into three Tactical Operations Commands : one Mechanized Tactical Operations Command (with BTR-3 armored personal carriers) and two Motorized Tactical Operations Command (with EQ-2102 6x6 trucks).
MOC are equivalent to Light Infantry Division
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
(LID) in Myanmar Army order of battle as both command 10 infantry battalions through three TOC (Tactical Operations Command).
| Military Operation Command (MOC) | Headquarters | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Military Operations Command (MOC-1) | Kyaukme ကျောက်မဲ, Shan State Shan State Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total... |
|
| 2nd Military Operations Command (MOC-2) | Mong Nawng မိုင်း, Shan State Shan State Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total... |
|
| 3rd Military Operations Command (MOC-3) | Mogaung Mogaung Mogaung is a town in Kachin State, Myanmar. It is situated on the Mandalay-Myitkyina railway line.-External links:* Falling Rain Genomics, Inc.* Maplandia.com... မိုးကောင်း, Kachin State Kachin State Kachin State , is the northernmost state of Burma. It is bordered by China to the north and east; Shan State to the south; and Sagaing Division and India to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is . The capital of the... |
|
| 4th Military Operations Command (MOC-4) | Hpugyi Hmawbi Township Hmawbi Township is a township in the Yangon Region of Burma . It is located northwest of the city of Yangon. The principal town and administrative seat is Hmawbi... ဖူးကြီး, Yangon Region |
Designated Airborne Division |
| 5th Military Operations Command (MOC-5) | Taungup တောင်ကုတ်, Rakhine State Rakhine State Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between... |
|
| 6th Military Operations Command (MOC-6) | Pyinmana Pyinmana Pyinmana ) is a logging town and sugarcane refinery center in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. The administrative capital of Myanmar was officially moved to a militarized greenfield site two miles west of Pyinmana on November 6, 2005. Pyinmana is approximately north of Yangon... ပျဉ်းမနား, Mandalay Region |
|
| 7th Military Operations Command (MOC-7) | Hpegon Pekon Township Pekon Township is a township of Taunggyi District in the Shan State of Myanmar. The principal town is Pekon.... ဖယ်ကုန်း, Shan State Shan State Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total... |
|
| 8th Military Operations Command (MOC-8) | Dawei Dawei -Transport:Only recently Dawei was connected to the rest of Myanmar by road and rail. There are plans to construct a deepwater port in Dawei. In November 2010, the Myanmar Port Authority signed a USD $8.6 billion deal with Italian-Thai Development to develop a deep sea port at Dawei... ထားဝယ်, Tanintharyi Region |
|
| 9th Military Operations Command (MOC-9) | Kyauktaw Kyauktaw Kyauktaw is a town in the north Rakhine State of westernmost part of Myanmar. The famous Mahamuni Buddha Image was situated near Kyauk Taw, in the ruins of the old city of Dhanyawadi.Kyauktaw has many sugar mills and sugarcane plantations.... ကျောက်တော်, Rakhine State Rakhine State Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between... |
|
| 10th Military Operations Command (MOC-10) | Kyigon ကြီးကုန်း, Sagaing Region | |
| 11th Military Operations Command (MOC-11) | Loilem Loilem Loilem or Loilen, also Loi-Lem or Loi-lem is a town in the Shan State of central-eastern Burma. It is the principal town in Loilem Township in Loilem District.... လွိုင်လင်, Shan State Shan State Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total... |
|
| 12th Military Operations Command (MOC-12) | Kawkareik Kawkareik Kawkareik is a town in the Kayin State of south Burma. It is the capital of Kawkareik District. The Kawkareik Pass across the Tenasserim Hills is named after this town.... ကော့ကရိတ်, Kayin State Kayin State Kayin State is a state of Burma . The capital city is Hpa-an.-History:The region that forms today's Kayin State was part of successive Burmese kingdoms since the formation of the Pagan Empire in mid-11th century... |
|
| 13th Military Operations Command (MOC-13) | Bokpyin Bokpyin -External links:*[ East Satellite map at Maplandia.com]... ဘုတ်ပြင်း, Tanintharyi Region |
|
| 14th Military Operations Command (MOC-14) | Mong Hsat မိုင်းဆတ်, Shan State Shan State Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total... |
|
| 15th Military Operations Command (MOC-15) | Buthidaung Buthidaung Buthidaung is a town in the Rakhine State of westernmost part of Myanmar. It is the administrative seat of Buthidaung Township. It lies on the west bank of Mayu river. Flood hit in July 2011.-External links:*... ဘူးသီးတောင်, Rakhine State Rakhine State Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between... |
|
| 16th Military Operations Command (MOC-16) | Theinni Theinni Theinni or Hsenwi is a town in northern Shan State of Burma, situated near the north bank of the Nam Tu River and now the centre of Hsenwi Township in Lashio District. It is 28 miles north of Lashio. It is 2,100 feet above sea level... သိန္နီ, Shan State Shan State Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total... |
|
| 17th Military Operations Command (MOC-17) | Mong Pan Mong Pan Mong Pan is a town and seat of Mong Pan Township in the southern Shan State of Burma. To the south it borders Mae Hong Son Province in Thailand and lies west of the Salween River. It lies along National Road 45.... မိုင်းပန်, Shan State Shan State Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total... |
|
| 18th Military Operations Command (MOC-18) | Mong Hpayak Mong Hpayak Mong Hpayak is a town in Mong Hpayak District of Shan State of Burma . It is the principal town of and administrative center for both the district and Mong Hpayak Township. The town is located on the Tachilek–Kengtung paved road... မိုင်းဖြတ်, Shan State Shan State Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total... |
|
| 19th Military Operations Command (MOC-19) | Ye Ye, Mon State Ye is a town in the southern end of Mon State, Myanmar . It is the principal town of Ye Township of Mawlamyine District. The town is located by the Ye river as it drains into the Gulf of Martaban, and is surrounded by Tenasserim Hills in the east. It has a warm, moderate weather. The town's... ရေး, Mon State Mon State Mon State is an administrative division of Myanmar. It is sandwiched between Kayin State on the east, the Andaman Sea on the west, Bago Region on the north and Tanintharyi Region on the south, and has a short border with Thailand's Kanchanaburi Province at its south-eastern tip. The land area is... |
|
| 20th Military Operations Command (MOC-20) | Kawthaung Kawthaung Kawthaung is in the southernmost part of Myanmar, located in Tanintharyi Region. During British rule in Burma between 1824 and 1948, it was known as Victoria Point.- History :... ကော့သောင်း, Tanintharyi Region |
|
| 21st Military Operations Command (MOC-21) | Bhamo Bhamo Bhamo is a city of Kachin State in northernmost part of Myanmar, located 186 km south from the capital city of Myitkyina. It is on the Ayeyarwady River. It lies within 65 km of the border with Yunnan Province, China. The population consists of Chinese and Shan, with Kachin peoples in... ဗန်းမော်, Kachin State Kachin State Kachin State , is the northernmost state of Burma. It is bordered by China to the north and east; Shan State to the south; and Sagaing Division and India to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is . The capital of the... |
Light Infantry Divisions (LID)
Light Infantry Division (Chay Myan Tat Ma or Ta Ma Kha), commanded by a Brigadier-General, each with 10 Light Infantry BattalionBattalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s organised under 3 Tactical Operations Commands, commanded by a Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, (3 battalions each and 1 reserve), 1 Field Artillery Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, 1 Armour Squadron and other support units.
These divisions were first introduced to the Myanmar Army in 1966 as rapid reaction mobile forces for strike operations. 77th Light Infantry Division was formed on 6 June 1966, followed by 88th Light Infantry Division and 99th Light Infantry Division in the two following years. 77th LID was largely responsible for the defeat of the Communist forces of the CPB (Communist Party of Burma
Communist Party of Burma
The Communist Party of Burma is the oldest existing political party in Burma. The party is unrecognised by the Burmese authorities, rendering it illegal; so it operates in a clandestine manner, often associating with insurgent armies along the border of People's Republic of China...
) based in the forested hills of the central Bago Yoma in the mid 1970s. Three more LIDs were raised in the latter half of 1970s (the 66th, 55th and 44th) with their headquarters at Pyay
Pyay
Pyay is a town in the Bago Division in Burma. It has an estimated population of 123,800 . Pyay is positioned on the Ayeyarwady River and is northwest of Yangon....
, Aungban
Aungban
Aungban is a town in the Shan State of eastern Burma. It is located in Kalaw Township in Taunggyi District.It is the junction for a branch railway to Loikaw constructed in 1992.-External links:*...
and Thaton
Thaton
Thaton is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains. Thaton lies along the National Highway 8 and is also connected by the National Road 85.-Etymology:...
. They were followed by another two LIDs in the period prior to the 1988 military coup (the 33rd LID with headquarters at Sagaing
Sagaing
Sagaing is the capital of Sagaing Region in Myanmar. Located on the Ayeyarwady River, 20 km to the southwest of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river, Sagaing with numerous Buddhist monasteries is an important religious and monastic center. The pagodas and monasteries crowd the numerous...
and the 22nd LID with headquarters at Hpa-An
Hpa-An
-Education:* Computer University, Hpa-An* Hpa-An Education College* Hpa-An University* Technological University, Hpa-An* Hpa-An Nursing Training School-Religion:...
). 11th LID was formed in December 1988 with headquarters at Inndine, Bago Division
Bago Division
Bago Region is an administrative region of Burma, located in the southern central part of the country. It is bordered by Magway Region and Mandalay Region to the north; Kayin State, Mon State and the Gulf of Martaban to the east; Yangon Region to the south and Ayeyarwady Region and Rakhine State...
and 101st LID was formed in 1991 with its headquarters at Pakokku
Pakokku
Pakokku or Pa Kok Ku is a town in the Magway Division in Myanmar. It is situated about 30 km northwest of Bagan on the Ayeyarwady River. It is the second most important education center for Sangha after Mandalay. It is the administration seat of Pakokku Township and Pakokku District.The town...
.
Each LID, commanded by Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
(Bo hmu gyoke) level officers, consists of 10 light infantry battalions specially trained in counter-insurgency
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
, jungle warfare
Jungle warfare
Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain.It has been the topic of extensive study by military strategists, and was an important part of the planning for both sides in many conflicts, including World War II and the...
, "search and destroy" operations against ethnic insurgents and narcotics-based armies. These Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s are organised under three Tactical Operations Commands (TOC; Nee byu har). Each TOC, commanded by a Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
(Bo hmu gyi), is made up of three or more combat Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s, with command and support elements similar to that of brigades in Western armies. One infantry battalion was held in reserve. As of 2000, all LID have their own organic Field Artillery units. For example, 314th Field Artillery Battery is now attached to 44th LID. Some of the LID battalions have been given Parachute and Air Borne Operations training and two of the LIDs have been converted to mechanised infantry formation with divisional artillery, armoured reconnaissance and tank battalions
LIDs are considered to be a strategic asset of the Myanmar Army, and after the 1990 reorganisation and restructuring of the Tatmadaw command structure, they are now directly answerable to Chief of Staff (Army).
| Light Infantry Division (LID) | Year formed | Headquarters | First Commander | Current Commander | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Inndine | Col. Win Myint | Formed after 1988 military coup. | ||
| 1987 | Hpa-An Hpa-An -Education:* Computer University, Hpa-An* Hpa-An Education College* Hpa-An University* Technological University, Hpa-An* Hpa-An Nursing Training School-Religion:... |
Col. Tin Hla | Invovled in crackdown of unarmed protestors during 8.8.88 democracy uprising | ||
| 1984 | Sagaing Sagaing Sagaing is the capital of Sagaing Region in Myanmar. Located on the Ayeyarwady River, 20 km to the southwest of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river, Sagaing with numerous Buddhist monasteries is an important religious and monastic center. The pagodas and monasteries crowd the numerous... |
Col. Kyaw Ba | |||
| 1979 | Thaton Thaton Thaton is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains. Thaton lies along the National Highway 8 and is also connected by the National Road 85.-Etymology:... |
Col. Myat Thin | |||
| 1980 | Sagaing Sagaing Sagaing is the capital of Sagaing Region in Myanmar. Located on the Ayeyarwady River, 20 km to the southwest of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river, Sagaing with numerous Buddhist monasteries is an important religious and monastic center. The pagodas and monasteries crowd the numerous... /Kalaw Kalaw For the bird locally known as Kalaw see Rufous HornbillKalaw is a hill town in the Shan State of Burma. It is located in Kalaw Township in Taunggyi District. The town was popular with the British during colonial rule. Kalaw is the main place of the novel by Jan Philipp Sendker, "Das... |
Col. Phone Myint | |||
| 1976 | Pyay Pyay Pyay is a town in the Bago Division in Burma. It has an estimated population of 123,800 . Pyay is positioned on the Ayeyarwady River and is northwest of Yangon.... |
Col. Taung Zar Khaing | |||
| 1966 | Hmawbi | Col. Tint Swe | |||
| 1967 | Magway | Col. Than Tin | |||
| 1968 | Meiktila Meiktila Meiktila is a city in central Myanmar, located on the banks of Lake Meiktila in Mandalay Division, at the junctions of the Bagan-Taunggyi, Yangon-Mandalay and Meiktila-Myingyan highways. Because of its strategic position, Meiktila is home to Myanmar Air Force's central command and Meiktila Air... |
Col. Kyaw Htin Kyaw Htin General Thura Kyaw Htin is the former Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Union of Myanmar and a highly decorated soldier.-Military career:... |
|||
| 1991 | Pakokku Pakokku Pakokku or Pa Kok Ku is a town in the Magway Division in Myanmar. It is situated about 30 km northwest of Bagan on the Ayeyarwady River. It is the second most important education center for Sangha after Mandalay. It is the administration seat of Pakokku Township and Pakokku District.The town... |
Col. Saw Tun | Units of 101st LID were deployed during the purge of Military Intelligence faction in 2004. | ||
Artillery and armoured units
ArtilleryArtillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
and armoured units were not used in an independent role, but were deployed in support of the infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
by the Ministry of Defence as required. The Directorate of Artillery and Armour Corps was also divided into separate corps in 2001. A dramatic expansion of forces under these directorates followed with the equipment procured from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Directorate of Artillery
No. 1 Artillery Battalion was formed in 1952 with three artillery batteries under the Directorate of Artillery Corps. A further three artillery battalions were formed in the late 1952. This formation remained unchanged until 1988. Since 2000, the Directorate of Artillery Corps has overseen the expansion of Artillery Operations Commands(AOC) from two to 10. Tatmadaw's stated intention is to establish an organic Artillery Operations Command in each of the 12 Regional Military Command Headquarters. Each Artillery Operation Command is composed of the following:As of 2000, the Artillery wing of the Tatmadaw has about 60 Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s and 37 independent Artillery companies/batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
attached to various Regional Military Commands (RMC), Light Infantry Divisions (LID), Military Operation Command (MOC) and Regional Operation Command (ROC)s. For example, 314th Field Artillery Battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
is under 44th LID, 326 Field Artillery Battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
is attached to 5th MOC, 074 Field Artillery Battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
is under the command of ROC (Bhamo) and 076 Field Artillery Battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
is under North-Eastern RMC. Twenty of these Artillery battalions are grouped under 707th Artillery Operation Command (AOC) headquarters in Kyaukpadaung
Kyaukpadaung
Kyaukpadaung is a town in Mandalay Region in Central Myanmar. It lies just southwest of Mount Popa. It is the administrative seat for Kyaukpadaung Township.-History:The name of Kyaukpadaung is derived from Kyauk + Pann + Taung ....
and 808th Artillery Operation Command (AOC) headquarters in Oaktwin, near Taungoo
Taungoo
-Administration:*Taungoo District Peace and Development Council - List of Six Townships*Taungoo Township Peace and Development Council*Taungoo Ward Peace and Development Council - 22 Wards*Taungoo Municipal*District and Township Immigration Dept...
. The remaining 30 battalions, including 7 Anti-Aircraft artillery battalions are under the Directorate of Artillery Corps.
Artillery Operations Command (AOC)
( အေျမာက္တပ္ဖြဲ႕ )- HQ battalion
- 12 ArtilleryArtilleryOriginally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
BattalionBattalionA battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s:- 6 Light Field artilleryField artilleryField artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
battalionBattalionA battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
equipped with 105 mm, 76 mm, 75 mm howitzerHowitzerA howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s, field gunField gunA field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
s and mountain gunMountain gunMountain guns are artillery pieces designed for use in mountain warfare and areas where usual wheeled transport is not possible. They are similar to infantry support guns, and are generally capable of being broken down into smaller loads .Due to their ability to be broken down into smaller...
s, - 3 Medium Field Artillery battalionBattalionA battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
equipped with 155 mm, 130 mm, 122 mm howitzerHowitzerA howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s and field gunField gunA field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
s, - 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher battalionMultiple rocket launcherA multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns...
equipped with 122 mm self propelledSelf-propelled artillerySelf-propelled artillery vehicles are combat vehicles armed with artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery...
and towed launchers, - 1 Air Defence Artillery battalion with 37 mm, 57 mm Anti-Aircraft gunsAnti-aircraft warfareNATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
or SA 18 IGLAs) man portable surface-to-air missileSurface-to-air missileA surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
s and - 1 target acquisition battalion.
- 6 Light Field artillery
- support units
Light field artillery battalions consists of 3 field artillery batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
with 36 field gun
Field gun
A field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
s or howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s (12 guns per battery). Medium artillery battalions consists of 3 medium artillery batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
of 18 field gun
Field gun
A field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
s or howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s (6 guns per one battery). As of 2011, all field guns of Myanmar Artillery Corps are undergoing upgrade programs including GPS Fire Control Systems.
| Artillery Operations Command (AOC) | Headquarters | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 505th Artillery Operations Command | ျမိတ္ | |
| 606th Artillery Operations Command | သထံု | |
| 707th Artillery Operations Command | ေက်ာက္ပေတာင္း | |
| 808th Artillery Operations Command | အုပ္တြင္း--ေတာင္ငူ | |
| 909th Artillery Operations Command | Mong Khon--Kengtung | |
| 901st Artillery Operations Command | ေဘာနက္ၾကီး--ပဲခူးတိုင္း | |
| 902nd Artillery Operations Command | ||
| 903rd Artillery Operations Command | လြိင္လင္ | |
| 904th Artillery Operations Command | မိုးညွင္း | |
| 905th Artillery Operations Command | Padein--Ngape |
Directorate of Armour
No.1 Armour Company and No.2 Armour Company was formed in July, 1950 under the Directorate of Armour and Artillery Corps with Sherman tanks, Stuart Light Tanks, Humber Amour Scout CarsHumber Scout Car
Humber Scout Car was a British light armoured car used in the Second World War.-History:Although at the outbreak of the Second World War the British Army already had the excellent Daimler Dingo, the need for scout cars could not be met by Daimler alone, so other companies were required to produce...
, Ferret Armoured Cars
Ferret armoured car
The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret Scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company, Daimler...
and Univerl Bren Carriers. These two companies were merged on 1 November 1950 to become No. 1 Armour Battalion with Headquarter in Mingalardon. On 15 May 1952 No. Tank Battalion was formed with 25 Comet Tanks
Comet tank
The Tank, Cruiser, Comet I was a British cruiser tank that first saw use near the end of World War II. It was designed to provide greater anti-tank capability to Cromwell tank squadrons. It was armed with a 77mm HV, a derivative of the 17 pounder, with the result it was one of the few British...
acquired from United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The Armour Corps within Myanmar Army was the most neglected one for nearly thirty years since the Tatmadaw did not procure any new tanks or armour carriers since 1961.
Armoured divisions, known as Armoured Operations Command (AROC), under the command of Directorate of Armour Corps, were also expanded in number from one to two, each with ten armoured battalions (five Armoured battalions equipped with Main battle Tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
s and five Mechanised Infantry battalions equipped with Infantry fighting vehicle
Infantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...
s and Armored personnel carriers).
In mid-2003, Tamadaw acquired 139+ T-72
T-72
The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1970. It is developed directly from Obyekt-172, and shares parallel features with the T-64A...
Main battle Tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
s from Ukraine and signed a contract to build and equip a factory in Myanmar to produce and assemble 1,000 BTR
BTR
BTR may refer to:* BTR plc, formerly BTR Industries, one of the predecessor companies of Invensys plc* BTR Aerospace Group* BTR Industries* BTR-EMS-AKG Janakeeya Vedi, a political group in India...
Armored personnel carriers in 2004. In 2006, the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
transferred an unspecified number of T-55
T-55
The T-54 and T-55 tanks were a series of main battle tanks designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just before the end of the Second World War. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank for armored units of the Soviet Army, armies of...
Main battle Tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
s that were being phased out from active service to Tatmadaw along with 105 mm Light Field Guns
Field gun
A field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
, armoured personnel carriers and indigenous HAL Light Attack Helicopters
HAL Light Combat Helicopter
The HAL Light Combat Helicopter is a multirole combat helicopter being developed in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for use by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army.-Development:In 2006, HAL announced its plans to build a LCH...
in return for Tatmadaw’s support and cooperation in flushing out Indian insurgent groups operating from its soil.
Armoured Operations Command (AROC)
Armoured Operations Commands (AROC) are equivalent to Independent Armoured Divisions in western term. Currently there are 5 Armoured Operations Commands under Directorate of Armoured Corps in Tatmadaw order of battle. Tatmadaw planned to establish an AROC each in 7 Regional Military Commands. Typical Armoured Division in Myanmar Army composed of Headquarter, Three Armored Tactical Operations Command - each with one Mechanized battalionMechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....
equipped with 44 BMP-1
BMP-1
The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty 1 , meaning "infantry fighting vehicle". The BMP-1 was the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle...
or MAV-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Infantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...
s, Two Tanks Battalions equipped with 44 Main Battle Tanks
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
each, one Armored Reconnaissance
Armoured reconnaissance
Armoured reconnaissance is terrestrial reconnaissance by soldiers in reconnaissance vehicles. The mission of armoured reconnaissance is to gather intelligence about the enemy.-Australia:...
battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
equipped with 32 Type-63A
PT-76
The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank which was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other friendly states, like India, Iraq, North Korea and North Vietnam. Overall,...
Amphibious Light Tanks, one Field Artillery battalion
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
and a Support battalion. Support battalion composed of an engineer squadron
Squadron
Squadron has different meanings:*Squadron , a cavalry or other unit that consists of a number of troops.*Squadron , a unit of aircraft that consists of three or four "flights", with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, depending on aircraft type and air force.*Squadron , a unit of 3-4 major naval vessels...
, two logistic squadrons and a signal company.
Myanmar Army has taken delivery of 150 EE-9 Cascavel
EE-9 Cascavel
The EE-9 Cascavel is a 6 x 6 armoured car developed in the 1970s by Engesa of Brazil. It used as many commercially available parts as possible. It also shares many components with the EE-11 Urutu APC...
s from Israeli army(?) surplus in 2005. Although EE 9 are armoured reconnaissance vehicle
Armoured reconnaissance
Armoured reconnaissance is terrestrial reconnaissance by soldiers in reconnaissance vehicles. The mission of armoured reconnaissance is to gather intelligence about the enemy.-Australia:...
, Myanmar Army categorized them as light tank
Light tank
A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major...
and deploys them in eastern Shan State and triangle regions near Thai-Myanmar border.
Bureau of Air Defense
The Air Defence Command was formed during the late 1990s but was not fully operational until late 1999. It was renamed Bureau of Air Defense in the early 2000s. In early 2000, Tatmadaw established Myanmar Integrated Air Defence System (MIADS) with help from RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is a tri-service bureau with units from all three branches of Myanmar Armed Forces. All Air Defence assets except Anti-Aircraft Artillery within Tatmadaw arsenal are integrated into MIADS. AAA guns are mostly unguided and deploy to use in barrage-style firing against attacking aircraft. MIADS is directly answerable to Bureau of Air Defence under Ministry of Defence.
In 2010, Myanmar Air Defense Command has completed installation of optical fiber communication network throughout the country. Those network are to be used for Air defense operations between Central Command HQ from capital & several air bases, early warning radar stations & mobile anti air craft missile & artillery units. After completion of fiber optic project & radar stations, MIADS (Myanmar Integrated Air Defense System) becomes the most advance AD system in the region.
| Chief of Staff of Air Defence | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lt. General Soe Win Soe Win General Soe Win was the Prime Minister of Burma and Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council from 2004 to 2007. He was known by Burmese dissident groups as "the butcher of Depayin" for his role as mastermind of the 2003 Depayin Massacre, in which 70 National League for Democracy... |
1997–2004 | Later became Prime Minister |
| Lt. General Myint Hlaing | 2004–2010 | |
| Lt. General Sein Win Sein Win Dr. Sein Win is Chairman of National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, a "government in exile". And they made him Unofficial Prime Minister of the Union of Burma, elected by the 1990 People's Assembly known as the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma – a... |
2010 - current |
Sector Operations Commands
Under MIADS, the country was divided into six Air Defense Sectors, each controlled by a Sector Operations Center (SOC) and reporting directly to the National Air Defense Operations Center (ADOC) in YangonYangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
. Each SOC transmitted data back to Intercept Operations Centers (IOC), which in turn controlled SAM
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
batteries and fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
/interceptor
Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
squadrons at various Air Bases. Each IOC was optimized to direct either SAMs or fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
/interceptor
Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
aircraft against incoming enemy aircraft or missile. Each IOC was connected to observer and early warning area reporting posts (RP) via military owned underground fibre optic cable network. There were about 100 radar stations located at approximately 40 sites throughout the country. New Air Defence radars such as 1L117 radars, Galaxy Early Warning Radar and P series radars are installed in all radar stations.
Each Sector Operation Center (SOC) is commanded by a Major General and it consists of one air defense division from Myanmar Army and one fighter-interceptor wing from Myanmar Air Force. Sometimes Air Defense Frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s from Myanmar Navy also operates under the direct command of respective SOC.
Each Air Defense division is commanded by a Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
and consists of three Air Defense Tactical Operations Command (TOC) and support units. One Medium Range Surface to Air Missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
Tactical Operations Command (MRSAM-TOC), with three battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s equipped with Buk M-1 or Kub missile system is deployed in an Area Defense Belt role. One Short Range Air Defense Tactical Operations Command (SHORAD-TOC), with three battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s equipped with Tor M-1 missile system is deployed in a Point Defense role for critical areas such as radar stations, fighter bases and SOC headquarters. One Electronic Reconnaissance Tactical Operations Command (EIR-TOC) with 6 to 8 radar and communication companies for early warnings and interdiction detection.
Each fighter-interceptor wing commanded by a Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
and is composed of three Fighter squadrons of either MiG-29 and F-7M Airguard Interceptors (ten air crafts per squadron) and their ground base support units.
| Sector Operation Centers | Headquarters | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Northern SOC | Myitkyina Myitkyina Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar , located from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river", and in fact "Myitkyina" lies on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, just below from Myit-son of its two headstreams... |
|
| Southern SOC | Myeik | |
| Western SOC | Sittwe Sittwe -Economy:In February 2007, India announced a plan to develop the port, which would enable ocean access from Indian Northeastern states, so called "Seven sisters", like Mizoram, via the Kaladan River.... |
|
| Eastern SOC | Tachilek | |
| South Eastern SOC | Yay | |
| Central SOC | Meiktila Meiktila Meiktila is a city in central Myanmar, located on the banks of Lake Meiktila in Mandalay Division, at the junctions of the Bagan-Taunggyi, Yangon-Mandalay and Meiktila-Myingyan highways. Because of its strategic position, Meiktila is home to Myanmar Air Force's central command and Meiktila Air... |
Directorate of Signal
Soon after the independence in 1948, Myanmar Signal Corps was formed with units from Burma Signals, also known as "X" Branch. It consisted HQ Burma Signals, Burma Signal Training Squadron (BSTS) and Burma Signals Squadron. HQ Burma Signals was located within War Office. BSTS based in Pyain Oo Lwin was formed with Operating Cipher Training Troop, Dispacth Rider Training Troop, Lineman Training Troop, Radio Mechanic Training Troop and Regimental Signals Training Troop. BSS, based in Mingalardon, had nince sections: Administration Troop, Maintenance Troop, Operating Troop, Cipher Troop, Lineman and Dispatch Rider Troop, NBSD Singals Troop, SBSD Signals Troop, Mobile Brigade Singals Toop and Arakan Singals Toop. The then Chief of Signal Staff Officer (CSO) was Lieutenant Colonel Saw Aung Din. BSTS and BSS were later renamed No. 1 Signal Battalion and No.1 Signal Training Battalion. In 1952, the Infantry Divisional Signals Regiment was formed and later renamed to No. 2 Signal Battalion. HQ Burma Signals was reorganised and became Directorate Signal and the director was elevated to the rank of Colonel. In 1956, No. 1 Signal Security Battalion was formed, followed by No. 3 Signal Battalion in November 1958 and No.4 Signal Battalion in October 1959.In 1961, signal battalions were reorganised as No. 11 Signal Battalion under North Eastern Regional Military Command, No. 121 Signal Battalion under Eastern Command, No. 313 Signal Battalion under Central Command, No.414 Signal Battalion under South Western Command, and No. 515 Signal Battalion under South Eastern Command. No.1 Signal Training Battalion was renamed Burma Signal Training Depot (Baho-Setthweye-Tat).
By 1988, Directorate of Signals command one training depot, eight signal battalions, one signal security battalion, one signal store depot and two signal workshops. Siganl Corps under Directorate of Signal further expanded during 1990 expansion and reorganisation of Myanmar Armed Forces. By 2000, a signal battalion is attached to each Regional Military Command and signal companies are now attached to Light Infantry Divisions and Military Operations Commands.
In 2000, Command, Control and Communication
C3I
C3I may refer to:*The C3I Programme, an initiative of London's Metropolitan Police Service*Cambridge Centre for Ceramic Immobilisation, a UK-based nuclear waste disposal research body...
system of Myanmar Army has been substantially upgraded by setting up the military fibre optic communication network managed by Directorate of Signal throughout the country. Since 2002 all Myanmar Army Regional Military Command HQs used its own telecommunication system. Satellite communication links are also provided to forward-deployed infantry battalions. However, battle field communication systems are still poor. Infantry units are still using TRA 906 and PRM 4051 which were acquired from UK in 1980s. Myanmar Army also uses Thura (locally built TRA 906) and XD-D6M (Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
) radio sets. Frequency hopping handsets are fitted to all front line units.
Between 2000 to 2005, Myanmar army bought 50 units of Brett 2050 Advanced Tech radio set from Aussie through third party from Singapore. Those units are distributed to ROCs in central & upper regions to use in counterinsurgency operations.
Directorate of Medical Services
At the time of independence in 1948, the medical corps has two Base Military Hospitals, each with 300 beds, in Mingalardon and Pyin Oo Lwin, a Medical Store Depot in Yangon, a Dental Unit and six Camp Reception Stations located in Myitkyina, Sittwe, Taungoo, Pyinmana, Bago and Meikhtila. Between 1958 and 1962, the medical corps was restructred and all Camp Reception Stations were reorganised into Medical Battalions.In 19889, Directorate of Medical Services has significantly expanded along with the infantry. In 2007, there are two 1,000 bed Defence Services General Hospitals (Mingalardon and Naypyitaw), two 700-bed hospitals in Pyin Oo Lwin and Aung Ban, two 500 bed military hospitals in Meikhtila and Yangon, one 500 bed Defence Services Orthopedic Hospital in Mingalardon, two 300 bed Defence Services Obstetric, Gynecological and Children hospital (Mingalardon and Naypyitaw), three 300 bed Military Hospital (Myitkyina, Ann and Kengtung), eighteen 100 bed Military Hospitals (Mongphyet, Baan, Indaing, Bahtoo, Myeik, Pyay, Loikaw, Namsam, Lashio, Kalay, Mongsat, Dawai, Kawthaung, Laukai, Thandaung, Magway, Sittwe, and Hommalin), fourteen field medical battalions, which are attached to various Regional Military Commands throughout the country. Each Field Medical Battalion consist of 3 Field Medical Companies with 3 Field Hospital Units and a specialist team each. Health & Disease Control Unit (HDCU) is responsible for prevention, control & eradication of diseases.
| Units | Headquarter | RMC |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Corps Centre | Hmawbi | Yangon Command |
| No.(1) Field Medical Battalion | Mandalay Mandalay Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region .... |
Central Command |
| No.(2) Field Medical Battalion | Taunggyi Taunggyi -Transportation:The main access to Taunggyi is by road. A railway line that passes through Taunggyi was recently built in 1995, but at the moment it offers no passenger service. Regular railway passenger service to the rest of the country is through the town of Shwenyaung, twelve miles to the... |
Eastern Command |
| No.(3) Field Medical Battalion | Taungoo Taungoo -Administration:*Taungoo District Peace and Development Council - List of Six Townships*Taungoo Township Peace and Development Council*Taungoo Ward Peace and Development Council - 22 Wards*Taungoo Municipal*District and Township Immigration Dept... |
Southern Command |
| No.(4) Field Medical Battalion | Pathein Pathein Pathein , also called Bassein, is a port city with a 2004 population estimated at 215,600, and the capital of the Ayeyarwady Region, Burma. It lies on the Pathein River , which is a western branch of the Irrawaddy River.... |
South Western Command |
| No.(5) Field Medical Battalion | Mawlamyaing | South Eastern Command |
| No.(6) Field Medical Battalion | Hmawbi | Yangon Command |
| No.(7) Field Medical Battalion | Monywa Monywa Monywa is a city in Sagaing Division, Myanmar, located 136 km northwest of Mandalay on the eastern bank of the River Chindwin.-Transport:... |
North Western Command |
| No.(8) Field Medical Battalion | Sittwe Sittwe -Economy:In February 2007, India announced a plan to develop the port, which would enable ocean access from Indian Northeastern states, so called "Seven sisters", like Mizoram, via the Kaladan River.... |
Western Command |
| No.(9) Field Medical Battalion | Mohnyin Mohnyin Mohnyin is a town in Kachin State, Myanmar. It is the administrative center for both Mohnyin Township and Mohnyin District.Shells of different sizes were found in mass on 19 September. Those were found in apple-pie order while rooting up a tree between MohnyinDistrict Court and the Township... |
Northern Command |
| No.(10) Field Medical Battalion | Lashio Lashio Lashio is the largest town in northern Shan State, Myanmar, about northeast of Mandalay. It is situated on a low mountain spur overlooking the valley of the Nam Yao river. The population grew from around 5000 in 1960 to 88,590 in 1983. It is currently estimated at around 130,000.Lashio is the... |
North Eastern Command |
| No.(11) Field Medical Battalion | Bhamo Bhamo Bhamo is a city of Kachin State in northernmost part of Myanmar, located 186 km south from the capital city of Myitkyina. It is on the Ayeyarwady River. It lies within 65 km of the border with Yunnan Province, China. The population consists of Chinese and Shan, with Kachin peoples in... |
Northern Command |
| No.(12) Field Medical Battalion | Kengtung | Triangle Region Command |
| No.(13) Field Medical Battalion | Myeik | Costal Region Command |
| No.(14) Field Medical Battalion | Taikkyi | Yangon Command |
| Health and Disease Control Unit | Mingaladon Mingaladon Township Mingaladon Township is located in the northernmost part of Yangon, Myanmar. The township comprises 31 wards, and shares borders with Hmawbi township in the north, North Okkalapa township in the east, Insein township and Shwepyitha township in the west, and Mayangon township in the south... |
Yangon Command |
Defence academies and colleges
| Flags | Academies | Locations |
|---|---|---|
| National Defence College - NDC | Naypyidaw Naypyidaw Naypyidaw is the capital city of Burma, also known as Myanmar. It is administered as the Naypyidaw Union Territory, as per the 2008 Constitution. On 6 November 2005, the administrative capital of Myanmar was officially moved to a greenfield 3.2 km west of Pyinmana, and approximately... |
|
| Defence Services Command and General Staff College - DSCGSC | Kalaw Kalaw For the bird locally known as Kalaw see Rufous HornbillKalaw is a hill town in the Shan State of Burma. It is located in Kalaw Township in Taunggyi District. The town was popular with the British during colonial rule. Kalaw is the main place of the novel by Jan Philipp Sendker, "Das... |
|
| Defence Services Academy Defence Services Academy The Defence Services Academy located in Pyin Oo Lwin, is the premier military service academy of Myanmar, training future officers for all three branches of Burmese military. The Ministry of Defence administered academy offers bachelor's degree programs in liberal arts, combined physical sciences,... - DSA |
Pyin U Lwin Pyin U Lwin Pyin U Lwin or Pyin Oo Lwin , formerly Maymyo , is a scenic hill town in Mandalay Division, Myanmar, located in the Shan Highland, some east of Mandalay, and at an altitude of 1070 meters .-History:... |
|
| Defence Services Technological Academy Defence Services Technological Academy The Defence Services Technological Academy , located in Pyin-Oo-Lwin, Myanmar, is the premier technological university of the Myanmar Armed Forces. One of the most selective universities in the country, the academy offers various Bachelor of Engineering degrees to male cadets only... - DSTA |
Pyin U Lwin | |
| Defence Services Medical Academy - DSMA | Yangon Yangon Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial... |
|
| Defence Services Institute of Nursing and Paramedical Science Defence Services Institute of Nursing and Paramedical Science The Defence Services Institute of Nursing and Paramedical Science , located in Mingaladon, Yangon, is one of military-run institutes of higher learning in Myanmar... - DSINP |
Yangon | |
| Defence Services Technological College - DSTC | Hopong Hopong Hopong is a town in the Shan State of eastern Burma. It is located in Hopong Township in Taunggyi District.-External links:*... |
Training schools
| Training Schools | Locations | Badge |
|---|---|---|
| Officer Training School - OTS | Fort Ba Htoo | |
| Basic Army Combat Training School | Fort Ba Htoo | |
| 1st Army Combat Forces School | Fort Ba Htoo | |
| 2nd Army Combat Forces School | Fort Bayinnaung | |
| Artillery Training School | Mone Tai | |
| Armour Training School | Maing Maw | |
| Electronic Warfare School | Pyin U Lwin Pyin U Lwin Pyin U Lwin or Pyin Oo Lwin , formerly Maymyo , is a scenic hill town in Mandalay Division, Myanmar, located in the Shan Highland, some east of Mandalay, and at an altitude of 1070 meters .-History:... |
|
| Engineer School | Pyin U Lwin | |
| Information Warfare School | Yangon Yangon Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial... |
|
| Air, Land and Paratroops Training School | Hmawbi | |
| Special Forces School | Fort Ye Mon |
Ranks and insignia
- See: Army ranks and insignia of Myanmar
The various rank of the Myanmar Army are listed below in descending order:
Commissioned officers
Note: Senior General (OF-10) and Vice Senior General rank are currently inactive . General is now the highest rank in Myanmar Armed Forces and Lieutenant General in Army, Navy, Air Force, Bureau of Air Defense, Chief of Staff, Adjutant General, Quartermaster General and Bureau of Special Operations.| Myanmar Armed Forces | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myanmar title Burmese language The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as... |
|||||||
| MLC TS MLC Transcription System The Myanma Language Commission Transcription System, also known as the MLC Transcription System , is a transliteration system for rendering Burmese in the Latin alphabet. It is loosely based on the Pali romanisation system, has some similarities to the ALA-LC Romanization, and was devised by the... |
Bo Gyoke Hmu Gyi | Du Bo Gyoke Hmu Gyi | Bo Gyoke Kyee | Du Bo Gyoke Kyee | Bo Gyoke | Bo Hmu Gyoke | |
| Abbreviation | - | ||||||
| Western Version | Senior General Field Marshal Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical... |
Vice Senior General | General General A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given.... |
Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General.... |
Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... |
Brigadier General Brigadier General Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000... |
|
| UK equivalent Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers Rank comparison chart of all armies of NATO member states.- Officers :- Warrant officers :Warrant officers rank below officers and above enlisted servicemen.... |
Field Marshal Field Marshal Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical... |
nil | General General A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given.... |
Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General.... |
Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... |
Brigadier Brigadier Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general.... |
|
| NATO Code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | ||
| Myanmar Armed Forces | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myanmar title Burmese language The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as... |
||||||
| MLC TS MLC Transcription System The Myanma Language Commission Transcription System, also known as the MLC Transcription System , is a transliteration system for rendering Burmese in the Latin alphabet. It is loosely based on the Pali romanisation system, has some similarities to the ALA-LC Romanization, and was devised by the... |
Bo Hmu Gyi | Du Bo Hmu Gyi | Bo Hmu | Bo Gyi | Bo | Du Bo |
| Abbreviation | ||||||
| Western Version | Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures... |
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence... |
Major Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ... |
Captain | Lieutenant Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... |
Second Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal... |
| UK equivalent Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers Rank comparison chart of all armies of NATO member states.- Officers :- Warrant officers :Warrant officers rank below officers and above enlisted servicemen.... |
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures... |
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence... |
Major Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ... |
Captain | Lieutenant First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank... |
Second Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal... |
| NATO Code | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | |
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs)
Non-Commissioned Officers are referred to as Saya, meaning Teacher, by both enlisted men and officers. For example, Warrant OfficersWarrant Officer (United Kingdom)
In the British Armed Forces, a warrant officer is the highest non-commissioned rank, holding the Queen's warrant, which is signed by the Secretary of State for Defence. Warrant officers are not saluted, but are to be addressed as 'Sir/Ma'am' by subordinates. Their seniors may address warrant...
, Regimental Sergeant Major
Regimental Sergeant Major
Regimental Sergeant Major is an appointment held by warrant officers class 1 in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many Commonwealth nations, including Australia and New Zealand; and by chief warrant officers in the Canadian Forces...
s and Master Sergeant
Master Sergeant
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...
are referred to as Sayagyi, literally meaning "Old Teacher", Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
are referred to as Saya and Corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
/Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...
as Sayalay. These unofficial ranks are used throughout the daily life of all branches. Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) within the Myanmar Armed Forces are usually seasoned veteran soldiers. Thus both Officers and enlisted men refer to them as "teacher" out of respect.
| Myanmar Armed Forces | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myanmar title Burmese language The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as... |
||||||
| MLC TS MLC Transcription System The Myanma Language Commission Transcription System, also known as the MLC Transcription System , is a transliteration system for rendering Burmese in the Latin alphabet. It is loosely based on the Pali romanisation system, has some similarities to the ALA-LC Romanization, and was devised by the... |
Ayagan Bo | Du-Ayagan Bo | Tatkhwè Tatkyatkyi | Tatkyatkyi | Tatkyat | Du-Tatkyat |
| Western Version | Warrant Officer Warrant Officer A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first... |
Regimental Sergeant Major Regimental Sergeant Major Regimental Sergeant Major is an appointment held by warrant officers class 1 in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many Commonwealth nations, including Australia and New Zealand; and by chief warrant officers in the Canadian Forces... |
Master Sergeant Master Sergeant A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF... |
Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... |
Corporal Corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4.... |
Lance Corporal Lance Corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed... |
| UK equivalent Ranks and insignia of NATO Armies Enlisted The following lists the enlisted ranks and insignia of NATO member armies:-Other/Enlisted ranks :-See also:* NATO* Ranks and insignia of NATO* Ranks and insignia of NATO Armies Officers* Ranks and insignia of NATO Armies Enlisted... |
Warrant Officer Class One | Warrant Officer Class Two | Staff Sergeant | Sergeant | Corporal | Lance Corporal |
Order of battle
- 13 x Regional Military Commands (RMC) organised in 6 Bureau of Special Operations (BSO)
- 6 x Regional Operations Commands (ROC)
- 20 × Military Operations Commands (MOC) including 1 x Airborne Infantry Division
- 10 x Light Infantry Divisions (LID)
- 10 x Armoured Operation Commands (AOC) (Each with 6 TankTankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
Battalions and 4 Armoured Infantry Battalions (IFVs/APCs).) - 10 x Artillery Operation Commands (AOC) (with of 113 Field Artillery Battalions)
- 6 x Anti-Aircraft Artillery/Air Defence Division (Each with 3 × Medium Range SAMSurface-to-air missileA surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
Battalions, 3 × Short Range SAMSurface-to-air missileA surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
Battalions, 3 × AAA/AD Battalion) - 40+ Military Affair Security Companies (MAS Units replaces former Military Intelligence Units after the disbandment of the Directorate of Defense Service Intelligence (DDSI))
- 45 Advanced Signal Battalions
- 54 Field Engineer Battalions
- 4 Armoured Engineer Battalions
- 14 Medical Battalions
Combat vehicles
| Model | Type | Quantity | Origin | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-55 T-55 The T-54 and T-55 tanks were a series of main battle tanks designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just before the end of the Second World War. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank for armored units of the Soviet Army, armies of... |
Main battle tank Main battle tank A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development... |
368 | Acquired from India. | ||
| Type 59 Type 59 The Type 59 main battle tank is a Chinese produced version of the Soviet T-54A tank, an improvement over the ubiquitous T-54/55. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service in 1959, with serial production beginning in 1963... |
Main battle tank | 160+ | |||
| T-72 T-72 The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1970. It is developed directly from Obyekt-172, and shares parallel features with the T-64A... |
Main battle tank | 139 | Purchased from Ukraine. Other reports claim as few as 14 purchased. | ||
| Type 69-II Type 69/79 The Type 69 and Type 79 are two models of Chinese main battle tanks. Both developments of the Type 59 , they were the first independently-developed main battle tanks by China. Their lineage can be seen through the distinct gap between the first and second roadwheels... |
Main battle tank | 260 | |||
| Type 88 (tank) Type 88 (tank) The Type 88 is a series of second-generation main battle tanks from China. Based on the Type 79 design, the Type 88 entered service with the People's Liberation Army in the 1980s. As of 2003, an estimated 500 Type 88 MBTs are currently in service with the PLA... |
Main battle tank Main battle tank A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development... |
230 | |||
| Type 63 Type 63 light tank The Norinco Type 63 is a Chinese amphibious light tank. First fielded in 1963, it is in many ways similar to the earlier Soviet PT-76. However, contrary to the popular belief, it does have some essential differences from the PT-76 in the vehicle's waterjet propulsion system, etc... |
Light tank Light tank A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major... |
150 | |||
| Comet tank Comet tank The Tank, Cruiser, Comet I was a British cruiser tank that first saw use near the end of World War II. It was designed to provide greater anti-tank capability to Cromwell tank squadrons. It was armed with a 77mm HV, a derivative of the 17 pounder, with the result it was one of the few British... |
Light Tank Light tank A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major... |
25 | WWII Vintage | ||
| EE-9 Cascavel EE-9 Cascavel The EE-9 Cascavel is a 6 x 6 armoured car developed in the 1970s by Engesa of Brazil. It used as many commercially available parts as possible. It also shares many components with the EE-11 Urutu APC... |
Armoured Car | 150 |  Brazil |
delivered by Israel | |
| Panhard AML Panhard AML -Former Operators:: unknown number of AML-60s and AML-90s in service between 1960-1975.: 34 Eland 90s and Eland 60s in service with the Rhodesian Security Forces in 1979, passed on to successor state.-Trivia:... 90 |
Armoured Car | 50+ | Delivered by Israel | ||
| Type 90 AFV Type 90 AFV The Norinco Type 90 Armoured Fighting Vehicle is the successor for the Type 85 AFV of which it uses some components. The Type 90 series was developed for export, which consists of at least 10 different types; its industrial index is YW535.... |
Armoured Fighting Vehicle Armoured fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked.... |
55 | |||
| BMP-1 BMP-1 The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty 1 , meaning "infantry fighting vehicle". The BMP-1 was the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle... |
Infantry fighting vehicle | 50 | brought from china | ||
| Type 85 Type 85 AFV The Norinco Type 85 tracked armoured fighting vehicle is an improved version of the Type 63 APC vehicle. The vehicle is bigger, has additional firing ports and periscopes, a longer chassis with an additional road wheel on each side, and is equipped with an NBC protection system.The Type 85 series... |
Armoured fighting vehicle Armoured fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked.... |
250 | Type 85 AFV#Operators | ||
| BTR-3 BTR-3 The BTR-3 is an 8×8-wheeled armored personnel carrier was designed by Adcom Manufacturing from UAE in 2000/2001 and manufactured by KMDB in Ukraine. The most significant of exports was to the Myanmar Army which acquired 1,000 BTR-3Us, to be assembled in Myanmar... U |
Armoured personnel carrier | 210 ordered (1,000) | Purchased as kits to be assembled locally until 2013 to circumvent embargo. | ||
| MPV Mahindra Mine Protected Vehicle The Mine Protected Vehicle-I , is an Indian armored personnel carrier designed and manufactured by Defense Land Systems, a joint-venture of Mahindra & Mahindra Limited and BAE Systems.-Design:... |
Armoured personnel carrier | 10 | Mine protected armoured personnel carrier. | ||
| BAAC-87 APC | Armoured personnel carrier | 25 | |||
| BAAC-83 APC | Armoured personnel carrier | 11 | |||
| BAAC-73 SC | Armoured car | 20 | |||
| BAAC-84/85/86 SC | Armoured car | 30 | |||
| Dingo Scout Car | Armoured personnel carrier | 72 | WWII vintage | ||
| Ferret Scout Car | Armoured personnel carrier | 6 | WWII vintage | ||
| Universal Carrier Universal Carrier The Universal Carrier, also known as the Bren Gun Carrier is a common name describing a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrong. Produced between 1934 and 1960, the vehicle was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War... |
Armoured personnel carrier | 80 | WWII vintage | ||
| Humber Pig Humber Pig The Humber Pig was a lightly-armoured truck used by the British Army from the 1950s until the 1990s. The Pig was also used by the Royal Ulster Constabulary for a short period during the late 1960s and early 1970s, who painted their Pigs in Admiralty Grey, rather than the standard Army Deep Bronze... |
Armoured personnel carrier | 60 | WWII vintage |
Artillery
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Quantity
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery vehicles are combat vehicles armed with artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery...
|-
| SH 1
|
Mainland China| 150
| 155mm self-propelled howitzer
|-
| Nora B-52
Nora B-52
The Nora B-52 is an Serbian-made self-propelled 155 mm howitzer . The Nora B-52 was designed with a modified version of the 152 mm field gun-howitzer M84 NORA-A mounted on an 8x8 truck bed. Its test trials have already been completed with great success and enthusiasm from Serbian officers and it...
|
Serbia| 30
| 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Towed artillery
|-
| D-30M
|
Soviet Union| 270
| 122 mm howitzer
|-
| D-20
152 mm towed gun-howitzer M1955 (D-20)
The 152 mm gun-howitzer M1955, also known as the D-20, is a manually loaded, towed 152 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union during the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1955, where it was designated the M1955. Its GRAU index is 52-P-546...
|
Soviet Union| 35
| delivered in 2009 from DPRK.
|-
| KH-179
|
South Korea| 100+
| 155 mm howitzer
|-
| M48 mountain gun
|
Kingdom of Yugoslavia| 100
| 76 mm mountain gun Issued to the Airborne Division (4 MOC )
|-
| M-845P
|
Israel| 16
| 155 mm howitzer
|-
| Soltam M-68
Soltam M-68
The M-68 was a 155 mm 33 calibre towed gun howitzer manufactured by Soltam Systems of Israel. The barrel of the M-68 is 5.18 m long and comes with a simple muzzle brake at the mouth of the barrel, the recoil mechanism of the two pneumatic cylinder jacks is positioned on the back-end of the...
|
Israel| ?
| 155 mm 33 calibre towed gun howitzer
|-
| Soltam M-71
Soltam M-71
The M-71 is a 155 mm 39 calibre towed howitzer manufactured by Soltam, Israel.-Design:The weapon was based on the earlier Soltam M-68 and uses the same recoil system, breech and carriage but had a longer gun barrel...
|
Israel| ?
| 155 mm 39 calibre towed howitzer
|-
| Ordnance QF 25 pounder
Ordnance QF 25 pounder
The Ordnance QF 25 pounder, or more simply, 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was introduced into service just before World War II, during which it served as the major British field gun/howitzer. It was considered by many to be the best field artillery piece of the war, combining high rates of fire with a...
|
| 50
| World War II vintage 87.6 mm howitzer . Primarily used as a training weapon
|-
| Ordnance QF 75 mm
Ordnance QF 75 mm
The Ordnance QF 75 mm, abbreviated to OQF 75 mm, was a British tank-gun of the Second World War. It was used instead of the Ordnance QF 6 pounder , an anti-tank gun, to give better performance against infantry targets in a similar fashion to the 75 mm gun fitted to the American...
|
| 80
| World War II vintage 122 mm howitzer
|-
| BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun
BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun
The BL 5.5 inch Gun was a British artillery gun introduced during the middle of the Second World War to equip medium batteries.-History:In January 1939 a specification was issued for a gun to replace the 6 inch 26 cwt howitzers in use with most medium batteries...
|
| 230
| World War II vintage 140 mm howitzer
|-
| Type 59-1
130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)
The 130 mm towed field gun M-46 M1954 is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1954...
|
Mainland China| 160
| 130 mm field gun
|-
| Various 105 mm howitzers
| Various
| 340+
| Types: L118
L118 Light Gun
The L118 Light Gun is a 105 mm towed howitzer, originally produced for the British Army in the 1970s and widely exported since, including to the United States, where a modified version is known as the M119A1...
, M101
M101 howitzer
The 105 mm M2A1 howitzer was the standard light field howitzer for the United States in World War II, seeing action in both European and Pacific theaters. Entering production in 1941, it quickly entered the war against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific, where it gained a reputation...
, M56 and others . Most of them are locally manufactured MH-1 (version of L118 Light Gun)
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Multiple rocket launcher
Multiple rocket launcher
A multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns...
s
|-
| M-1991
|
| 90
| 240 mm multiple rocket launcher (self-propelled)
|-
| Type 90B
|
Mainland China| 90
| 122 mm multiple rocket launcher (self-propelled)
|-
| Type 90
|
Mainland China| 90
| 122 mm multiple rocket launcher (self-propelled)
|-
| BM-21
BM-21
The BM-21 launch vehicle , a Soviet truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, and a M-21OF rocket were developed in the early 1960s. BM stands for boyevaya mashina, ‘combat vehicle’, and the nickname means ‘hail’. The complete system with the BM-21 launch vehicle and the M-21OF rocket...
|
Soviet Union| 230
| 122 mm multiple rocket launcher (self-propelled)
|-
| BM-27
BM-27
The BM-27 Uragan is a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system designed in the Soviet Union. It began its service with the Soviet Army in the late 1970s, as its first modern spin and fin stabilized heavy multiple rocket launcher. This system is capable of launching 220 mm rockets from...
|
Soviet Union| 35
| 220mm Multiple Rocket Launcher
|-
| Type 63
Type 63 multiple rocket launcher
The Type 63 multiple rocket launcher is a towed, 12-tube, 107mm rocket launcher produced by the People's Republic of China in the early 1960s, based on the Soviet BM-12 MRS and using similar rockets...
|
Mainland China| 48
| 107 mm multiple rocket launcher (towed)
|-
| BA-84
|
Myanmar| 72
| 122 mm multiple rocket launcher (towed)
|}
Air Defence
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Quantity
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Missile systems
|-
| BAe Dynamics Bloodhound Mk.II
|
United Kingdom|60
|Supplied by Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
|-
| S-75 Dvina
S-75 Dvina
The S-75 Dvina is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude, command guided, surface-to-air missile system...
(SA-2 Guideline)
|
Soviet Union ( Russia)|250
| Long-range surface-to-air missile system
|-
| S-125 Neva/Pechora (SA-3 Goa)
|
Soviet Union ( Russia)| 26
| Long-range surface-to-air missile system
|-
| S-200 Angara/Vega/DubnaSA-5 Gammon
|
Soviet Union ( Russia)| 20
| Long-range surface-to-air missile system
|-
| 2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful)
|
Soviet Union ( Russia)| 60
| Self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile system
|-
| 9K37 Buk-M1-2 (SA-11 Gadfly)
|
Soviet Union ( Russia)|60
| Self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile system
|-
| 9K331M Tor-M1 (SA-15 Gauntlet)
|
Soviet Union ( Russia)| 122
| Self-propelled, short-range surface-to-air missile system
|-
| 2K22 Tunguska M-1 (SA-19 Grison)
|
Soviet Union ( Russia)| 70
| Self-propelled, short-range surface-to-air gun and missile system
|-
| 9K38 Igla (SA-18 Grouse)
|
Soviet Union ( Russia)| 400
| Very short-range portable surface-to-air missile system (MANPADS)
|-
| CPMIEC HN5
|
Mainland China| 200
| Very short-range portable surface-to-air missile system (MANPADS)
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Gun systems
|-
| Type 56
|
Mainland China| 580
| 14.5 mm heavy machine gun in quadruple mounts
|-
| Type-95 (anti-aircraft system)
| Various anti-aircraft guns
| 600
| 37 mm /40 mm /57 mm
|-
| ZU-23-2
ZU-23-2
The ZU-23-2, also known as ZU-23, is a Soviet towed 23 mm anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannon. ZU stands for Zenitnaya Ustanovka - anti-aircraft mount.-Development history:...
Type-87 (anti-aircraft system)
|
| 380
| Towed 23 mm anti-aircraft twin autocannon
|-
| Bofors 40 mm
|
Sweden| unknown
| 40 mm anti-aircraft autocannon
|}
Support weapons
In Myanmar Army, Support Weapons are usually issued in Three different levels, for example, 60mm BA-100 mortarM2 Mortar
The M2 Mortar is a smoothbore, muzzle loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used by U.S. forces in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War for light infantry support.-Description:...
at Company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
level, 81mm BA-90 Mortar
81mm Mortar
A 81mm Mortar is a medium weight mortar. It is a smooth bore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon used for long-range indirect fire support to light infantry, air assault, and airborne units across the entire front of a battalion zone of influence....
at battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
level and 120mm MA-6 Mortar at Tactical Operations Command (TOC) level.
Another example is Rocket and Grenade Launchers
Rocket launcher
A rocket launcher is any device that launches a rocket-propelled projectile, although the term is often used in reference to mechanisms that are portable and capable of being operated by an individual....
. MA-4 Assault Rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
with M-203 40mm Grenade Launcher
M203 grenade launcher
The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was...
are issued at Squad
Squad
In military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...
level, MA-10 Rocket Launcher
Rocket launcher
A rocket launcher is any device that launches a rocket-propelled projectile, although the term is often used in reference to mechanisms that are portable and capable of being operated by an individual....
, locally manufactured version of RPG-7
RPG-7
The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
, are issued at Company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
level and 84mm MA-14 Recoilless Gun, locally manufactured version of Carl Gustav M-2
Carl Gustav recoilless rifle
The Carl Gustav is the common name for the 84 mm man-portable reusable multi-role recoilless rifle produced by Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden...
, at battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
level.
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Quantity
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Mortars
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
|-
| Various mortars
| Various
| 2400+
| 60 mm (BA 100) / 81 mm (BA-90) / 120 mm (MA-6)
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Rocket Launchers and Recoilless Guns
Recoilless rifle
A recoilless rifle or recoilless gun is a lightweight weapon that fires a heavier projectile than would be practical to fire from a recoiling weapon of comparable size. Technically, only devices that use a rifled barrel are recoilless rifles. Smoothbore variants are recoilless guns...
|-
| M-18
|
| N/A
| 57 mm
|-
| Type 36
|
Mainland China| N/A
| 57 mm
|-
| M-20 Super Bazooka
Bazooka
Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the U.S. Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat...
|
United States| 200
| 75 mm / 3.5 inch
|-
| Type 52 Rocket Launchers
|
Mainland China| N/A
| 75 mm
|-
| Type 56 Rocket Laungers
|
Mainland China| N/A
| 75 mm
|-
| Type 65
|
Mainland China| N/A
| 82 mm
|-
| Type 78
|
Mainland China| N/A
| 82 mm
|-
| Carl Gustav M-2
Carl Gustav recoilless rifle
The Carl Gustav is the common name for the 84 mm man-portable reusable multi-role recoilless rifle produced by Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden...
|
Sweden| 1800
| 84 mm (locally manufactured as MA-14)
|-
| M40 recoilless rifle
M40 recoilless rifle
The M40 recoilless rifle was a lightweight, portable, crew-served 105 mm weapon intended primarily as an anti-tank weapon made in the United States...
|
United States| N/A
| 106 mm
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Heavy Machine guns
Heavy machine gun
The heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I...
|-
| 0.50 Cal. Browning M2HB Heavy Machine Gun
|
United States| N/A
| 0.5 Calibre
|-
| 12.7mm NSV Heavy Machine Gun
|
Russia| N/A
|
|-
|12.7mm Type 85 Heavy Machine Gun
DShK
The DShK 1938 is a Soviet heavy machine gun firing the 12.7x108mm cartridge. The weapon was also used as a heavy infantry machine gun, in which case it was frequently deployed with a two-wheeled mounting and a single-sheet armour-plate shield...
|
Mainland China| N/A
|
|-
|20mm Hispano Suiza Mk 5 Automatic Cannon
Hispano-Suiza HS.404
The Hispano-Suiza HS.404 was an autocannon widely used as both an aircraft and land weapon in the 20th century by British, American, French, and numerous other military services. The cannon is also referred to as Birkigt type 404, after its designer. Firing a 20 mm caliber projectile, it delivered...
|
Sweden| N/A
|
|-
|}
General Purpose Machine Guns/Light Machine Guns (GPMG/LMG)
The typical section support weapon before 1988 Tatmadaw modernization program was the locally manufactured 7.62 mm BA64 Light Machine GunLight machine gun
A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...
(LMG). This was essentially the G3
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
assault rifle fitted with heavy barrel, bi-pod and carrying handle. The G4 replaced the British 0.30in Bren LMG. Company fire support generally consisted of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-designed 7.62 mm MG3 General-purpose machine guns (made in Myanmar's own Ka Pa Sa factories) and the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
7.62 mm FN MAG
FN MAG
The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...
GPMG.
After modernization program, General Purpose Machine Guns and Light Machine Guns are distributed as follow: MA-2 5.56mm Light Machine Gun
Light machine gun
A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...
for Squad
Squad
In military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...
Fire Support, MA- 15 7.62 mm General Purpose Machine Gun
General purpose machine gun
A general-purpose machine gun is a multi-purpose weapon: it is a machine gun firing a full-power rifle cartridge and which can be used in a variety of roles, from a bipod- or tripod-mounted infantry support weapon to a helicopter door gun or a vehicle-mounted support weapon...
, locally manufactured version of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
MG3 in Company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
machine gun platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
and 12.7mm Type 85 Heavy Machine Gun
DShK
The DShK 1938 is a Soviet heavy machine gun firing the 12.7x108mm cartridge. The weapon was also used as a heavy infantry machine gun, in which case it was frequently deployed with a two-wheeled mounting and a single-sheet armour-plate shield...
or 0.50 Cal. Browning M2HB in battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
heavy weapon company.
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Calibre
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
|Browning M1919A4
M1919 Browning machine gun
The M1919 Browning is a .30 caliber medium machine gun that was widely used during the 20th century. It was used as a light infantry, coaxial, mounted, aircraft, and anti-aircraft machine gun by the U.S. and many other countries, especially during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War...
|
Belgium| .30 calibre
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
| Supplied by USA through Military Assistance Programme during the 70s
|-
|Bren LMG
|
United Kingdom|.303 British
.303 British
.303 British, or 7.7x56mmR, is a .311 inch calibre rifle and machine gun cartridge first developed in Britain as a blackpowder round put into service in December 1888 for the Lee-Metford rifle, later adapted to use smokeless powders...
| World War II vintage, phased out from active units and transferred to Myanmar Police Force
Myanmar Police Force
Myanmar Police Force, formally known as The People's Police Force , was established in 1964 as independent department under Ministry of Home Affairs. It was reorganised on 1 October 1995 and informally become part of Tatmadaw. Current Director General of Myanmar Police Force is Brigadier General...
battalions and People Militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
units
|-
|Bren L4A4 LMG
|
United Kingdom| 7.62 x 51 mm NATO
| phased out from active units and transferred to Myanmar Police Force
Myanmar Police Force
Myanmar Police Force, formally known as The People's Police Force , was established in 1964 as independent department under Ministry of Home Affairs. It was reorganised on 1 October 1995 and informally become part of Tatmadaw. Current Director General of Myanmar Police Force is Brigadier General...
battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s and People Militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
units
|-
|BA-64
|
Myanmar|7.62 x 51 mm NATO
|Locally manufactured Light Machine Gun
Light machine gun
A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...
version of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
G3
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
equipped with heavy barrel, bi-pod and carrying handle
|-
|MA-2
|
Myanmar|5.56 x 45 mm NATO
5.56 x 45 mm NATO
5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...
|Locally manufactured Light Machine Gun
Light machine gun
A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...
version of IMI Galil
IMI Galil
The Galil is a family of Israeli small arms designed by Yisrael Galil and Yaacov Lior in the late 1960s and produced by Israel Military Industries Ltd of Ramat HaSharon...
ARM equipped with heavy barrel, folding bi-pod, carrying handle and wooden hand guard. Standard issued Squad Fire Support
|-
|MA15
|
Myanmar|7.62 x 51 mm NATO
| Locally manufactured German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
MG3 General Purpose Machine Gun
General purpose machine gun
A general-purpose machine gun is a multi-purpose weapon: it is a machine gun firing a full-power rifle cartridge and which can be used in a variety of roles, from a bipod- or tripod-mounted infantry support weapon to a helicopter door gun or a vehicle-mounted support weapon...
, Standard issued Company Fire Support
|-
|FN MAG
FN MAG
The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...
|
Belgium|7.62 x 51 mm NATO
|
|-
|}
Individual weapons
Before 1988, the standard Myanmar infantry weapon was the 7.62 mm BA-63 Assault RifleAssault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
, a locally produced version of the Heckler & Koch G3
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
. Myanmar also produced a shorter, lighter carbine
Carbine
A carbine , from French carabine, is a longarm similar to but shorter than a rifle or musket. Many carbines are shortened versions of full rifles, firing the same ammunition at a lower velocity due to a shorter barrel length....
version of the same rifle under the designation BA-72, simply known as the G2 and Light machine gun
Light machine gun
A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...
variant, known as BA-64 or G4, equipped with heavy barrel, folding bipod, and carrying handle. A fourth version of the G3 with integral scope attached, known as the BA-100, was more accurate and reliable, but was primarily used as a sniper's weapon.
Many soldiers, mainly officers and NCO, still carried 0.30 caliber
.30 Carbine
The .30 Carbine is the cartridge used in the M1 Carbine introduced in the 1940s. It is an intermediate round designed to be fired from the M1 carbine's 18-inch barrel.-History:...
M1 and M2 carbines
M1 Carbine
The M1 carbine is a lightweight, easy to use semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was produced in several variants. It was widely used by U.S...
provided by the US in the 1950s under the Military Assistance Program (MAP). These world war two vintage carbines are ideal for jungle warfare.
From the beginning of 2002, 7.62 mm BA series assault rifles have been gradually replaced by 5.56x45mm NATO
5.56x45mm NATO
5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...
MA-series assault rifles in Myanmar Army's front line units, tested earlier as the EMERK-3. MA-series assault rifles are identical to Israeli GALIL
IMI Galil
The Galil is a family of Israeli small arms designed by Yisrael Galil and Yaacov Lior in the late 1960s and produced by Israel Military Industries Ltd of Ramat HaSharon...
rifle family and fire 5.56x45mm NATO
5.56x45mm NATO
5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...
NATO rounds. From the beginning of 2011, Myanmar Army start producing so many Heckler & Koch HK33 assault rifles for Myanmar Army's front line units, as MA-12.
As side-arm, officers used the 9mm SIG Sauer P226 semi-automatic pistol locally manufactured under license as MA-6.
| Type | Origin | Calibre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assault Rifles | |||
| MA-1 Assault rifle | Myanmar |
5.56x45mm NATO 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge... |
Locally manufactured version of IMI Galil IMI Galil The Galil is a family of Israeli small arms designed by Yisrael Galil and Yaacov Lior in the late 1960s and produced by Israel Military Industries Ltd of Ramat HaSharon... Assault Rifle with wooden hand-guard and butt-stock, standard issue and replaced older BA-62 rifles. |
| Heckler & Koch HK33 Assault rifle | Myanmar |
5.56x45mm NATO 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge... |
Locally manufactured version of Heckler & Koch HK33 Assault Rifle, standard issue and replaced older MA series rifles in 2010. |
| MA-3 Assault Carbine | Myanmar |
5.56x45mm NATO 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge... |
Locally manufactured version of IMI Galil IMI Galil The Galil is a family of Israeli small arms designed by Yisrael Galil and Yaacov Lior in the late 1960s and produced by Israel Military Industries Ltd of Ramat HaSharon... SAR Carbine with folding metal stock and shorter barrel (13.1 in) - standard issue carbine for officers and squad/platoon commanders. Replaced M1 and M2 carbines M1 Carbine The M1 carbine is a lightweight, easy to use semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was produced in several variants. It was widely used by U.S... |
| MA-4 Assault Rifle | Myanmar |
5.56x45mm NATO 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge... |
Locally manufactured version of IMI Galil IMI Galil The Galil is a family of Israeli small arms designed by Yisrael Galil and Yaacov Lior in the late 1960s and produced by Israel Military Industries Ltd of Ramat HaSharon... AR with 40mm M203 Grenade Launcher M203 grenade launcher The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was... |
| MA-11 Assault Rifle | Myanmar |
5.56x45mm NATO 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge... |
Locally manufactured version of Heckler & Koch G3 Heckler & Koch G3 The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME .... chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge... rounds with STANAG magazine STANAG magazine A STANAG magazine is a type of detachable firearm magazine proposed by NATO in October 1980. Shortly after NATO's acceptance of the 5.56x45mm NATO rifle cartridge, Draft Standardization Agreement 4179 was proposed in order to allow the military services of member nations easily to share rifle... as part of 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge... round standardization. Most observers often mistake this as HK33 |
| MA-12 Light Machine Gun | Myanmar |
5.56x45mm NATO 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge... |
Locally manufactured version of Heckler & Koch G3 Heckler & Koch G3 The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME .... chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge... rounds with STANAG magazine STANAG magazine A STANAG magazine is a type of detachable firearm magazine proposed by NATO in October 1980. Shortly after NATO's acceptance of the 5.56x45mm NATO rifle cartridge, Draft Standardization Agreement 4179 was proposed in order to allow the military services of member nations easily to share rifle... . This is a Light Machine Gun Light machine gun A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:... variant with folding bi-pod and carrying handle. Most observers often mistake this as HK33 |
| BA-63 Assault Rifle | Myanmar |
7.62x51mm NATO | Locally manufactured version of HK-G3A2 Heckler & Koch G3 The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME .... . Replaced by MA series assault rifles in active units, transferred to Myanmar Police Force Myanmar Police Force Myanmar Police Force, formally known as The People's Police Force , was established in 1964 as independent department under Ministry of Home Affairs. It was reorganised on 1 October 1995 and informally become part of Tatmadaw. Current Director General of Myanmar Police Force is Brigadier General... battalion Battalion A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel... s and People Militia Militia The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with... units |
| BA-64 Light Machine Gun | Myanmar |
7.62x51mm NATO | Locally manufactured version Light Machine Gun Light machine gun A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:... of HK-G3 Heckler & Koch G3 The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME .... equipped with heavy barrel, folding bi-pod and carrying handle. Replaced by MA series assault rifles in active units, transferred to Myanmar Police Force Myanmar Police Force Myanmar Police Force, formally known as The People's Police Force , was established in 1964 as independent department under Ministry of Home Affairs. It was reorganised on 1 October 1995 and informally become part of Tatmadaw. Current Director General of Myanmar Police Force is Brigadier General... battalion Battalion A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel... s and People Militia Militia The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with... units |
| BA-72 Assault Rifle | Myanmar |
7.62x51mm NATO | Locally manufactured carbine version of HK-G3K Heckler & Koch G3 The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME .... with shorter barrel. Replaced by MA series assault rifles in active units, transferred to Myanmar Police Force Myanmar Police Force Myanmar Police Force, formally known as The People's Police Force , was established in 1964 as independent department under Ministry of Home Affairs. It was reorganised on 1 October 1995 and informally become part of Tatmadaw. Current Director General of Myanmar Police Force is Brigadier General... battalion Battalion A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel... s and People Militia Militia The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with... units |
| BA-100 Assault Rifle | Myanmar |
7.62x51mm NATO | Locally manufactured version of HK-G3A3ZF Heckler & Koch G3 The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME .... , Replaced by MA series assault rifles in active units, transferred to Myanmar Police Force Myanmar Police Force Myanmar Police Force, formally known as The People's Police Force , was established in 1964 as independent department under Ministry of Home Affairs. It was reorganised on 1 October 1995 and informally become part of Tatmadaw. Current Director General of Myanmar Police Force is Brigadier General... battalion Battalion A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel... s and People Militia Militia The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with... units |
| Type 81 | Mainland China |
7.62x39mm | Captured stock from Ethnic Insurgents and Narco Armies |
| Type 56 | Mainland China |
7.62x39mm | Captured stock from Ethnic Insurgents and Narco Armies |
| Kalashnikov AK-74 AK-74 The AK-74 is an assault rifle developed in the early 1970s in the Soviet Union as the replacement for the earlier AKM... |
Russia |
5.45x39mm 5.45x39mm The Soviet 5.45×39mm cartridge is a rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It was introduced into service in 1974 for use with the new AK-74 assault rifle. It gradually supplemented then largely replaced the 7.62x39mm round in service.... |
Captured stock from Ethnic Insurgents and Narco Armies |
| Kalashnikov AKM AKM The AKM is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an upgraded version of the AK-47 rifle and was developed in the 1950s.... |
Russia |
7.62x39mm | Captured stock from Ethnic Insurgents and Narco Armies |
| 5.45 mm AKS-74U | Russia |
5.45x39mm 5.45x39mm The Soviet 5.45×39mm cartridge is a rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It was introduced into service in 1974 for use with the new AK-74 assault rifle. It gradually supplemented then largely replaced the 7.62x39mm round in service.... |
Captured stock from Ethnic Insurgents and Narco Armies |
| Sub-machine guns | |||
| BA-52 | Myanmar |
9mm | Locally manufactured version of TZ-45 TZ-45 The TZ-45 was an Italian made submachine gun produced in small numbers between 1944 and 1945, with an estimated 6,000 made.- History :The TZ-45 submachine guns was designed by two Italian brothers, Tonon and Zorzoli Giandoso, and was produced by their own small company. All the TZ 45's were issued... Sub-Machine Gun, famously known as "Ne Win Ne Win Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981... Sten Sten The STEN was a family of British 9 mm submachine guns used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War... ", phased out from active front line units and handed over to Myanmar Police Force Myanmar Police Force Myanmar Police Force, formally known as The People's Police Force , was established in 1964 as independent department under Ministry of Home Affairs. It was reorganised on 1 October 1995 and informally become part of Tatmadaw. Current Director General of Myanmar Police Force is Brigadier General... and People Militia Militia The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with... units. |
| Heckler & Koch MP5 Heckler & Koch MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar.... |
Myanmar |
9mm | Locally manufactured version of Heckler & Koch MP5 Heckler & Koch MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar.... Sub-Machine Gun. |
| BA-94 / MA-13 | Myanmar |
9mm | Locally manufactured version of Uzi with wooden hand-guard and butt-stock. Mainly equipped to Body Guard Units and Special Force units. |
| Sten Sten The STEN was a family of British 9 mm submachine guns used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War... / Sterling L2A3 Sterling submachine gun The Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994, when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 assault rifle.-History:... |
United Kingdom |
9mm | |
| Grenade Launchers Grenade launcher A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand.... |
|||
| Type 56 RPG / RPG2 RPG-2 The RPG-2 was the first rocket-propelled grenade launcher designed in the Soviet Union.-Development:The RPG-2 , was a man-portable, shoulder-launched rocket-propelled grenade anti-armor weapon... |
Mainland China |
82mm War Head | |
| Type 69 RPG / RPG7 | Mainland China |
85mm War Head | locally manufactured as MA-10 |
| GP-25 | Russia |
40mm | Captured stock from Ethnic Insurgents and Narco Armies |
| M79 M79 grenade launcher The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40x46mm grenade which used what the US Army called the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War... |
United States |
40mm | |
| M203 M203 grenade launcher The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was... |
United States |
40mm | Unlicensed local manufactured version for MA series assault rifles. |
| Side Arm | |||
| SIG Sauer P226 | Myanmar |
9mm | Locally manufactured version of 9mm SIG Sauer P226 pistol. Start using from 2011. Locally named as MA-6. |
Transport
Before 1988, Myanmar Army had less than 2,000 military trucks in their inventory, bulk of them are locally assembled 6 ton 4x2 HinoHino Motors
-External links:Global* * * Overseas offices****.*.***.*.* - Philippines**...
TE 11/21 trucks, and they had to rely on civil transport systems. After the 1988 military coup, with the starting of the defence modernization programme, Myanmar started to acquire hundreds of logistic vehicle mainly from China. In 1992, Myanmar Army bought 4,000 6 ton 4x2 FAW and Dongfeng EQ1093 trucks form China and delivery completed in 1995. However due to maintenance problems with the earlier TE 11 and 21, Myanmar Army again signed contract with China to buy 4,000 Jiefang CA1091 4x2 5 ton trucks.
Again in 1997, Myanmar Army acquired 1,000 Dongfeng EQ2102 3.5 tonne 6X6 military utility trucks and 200 Shaanqi SX 2190 6X6 military utility trucks for newly formed artillery units for towing guns. However during border clashes with neighbouring Thailand in 2002, Myanmar Army found difficulties with the existing 4x2 military trucks and then they acquired 3,000 Dongfeng EQ2102 3.5 tonne 6X6 military utility trucks. These trucks were delivered at China-Myanmar border town of Shwe Li between 2003 and 2006. In 2007 November, China has agreed to supply another 1,500 EQ2102 3.5 tonne 6x6 military utility trucks to Myanmar Military. As part of that agreement Myanmar has taken delivery of first batch of 350 EQ 2102 trucks in 2008 April and 650 trucks are to deliver in June.
Myanmar ordinance factories started assembling Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Aeolus 4x2 6 tonne military utility trucks in 1997. Myanmar Army is now believed to be operating more than 6,000 Aeolus trucks.
Unarmored vehicles
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Quantity
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Trucks
|-
| Hino Motors
Hino Motors
-External links:Global* * * Overseas offices****.*.***.*.* - Philippines**...
TE 11/21
|
| 1,000
| Now being phased out
|-
|Jiefang Motors EQ1093 truck
|
Mainland China| 4,000
| 4x2 5ton trucks
|-
| Jiefang Motors EQ1091 truck
|
Mainland China| 4,000
| 4x2 5ton trucks
|-
|Aeolus
|
Myanmar|6,000
|4x2 5 ton trucks
|-
|Jiefang Motors EQ2102
|
Mainland China|6,000
|6x6 3.5 ton truck
|-
|Shaanqi Motors SX 2190
|
Mainland China|200
|6x6 3.5 ton trucks
|-
|FSC Star 266
|
Poland|
|6x6 6 ton
|-
|FAW CA6110
|
Mainland China|
|6x6 6ton
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Utility
Utility
In economics, utility is a measure of customer satisfaction, referring to the total satisfaction received by a consumer from consuming a good or service....
|-
|Toyota Land Cruiser
Toyota Land Cruiser
The is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corporation. It is not related to the Studebaker Land Cruiser car produced in the US from 1934-1954....
|
|
|issued for Generals officers (OF-6 and above)
|-
|Toyota Tiger Double Cub
|
|
|issued for colonels (OF-4 and OF-5)
|-
|grand tiger
|
|3,000
|Used by Infantry Regiment for their front line logistic
|-
|Isuzu Trooper
Isuzu Trooper
The Isuzu Trooper was a mid-size SUV produced by the Japanese automaker Isuzu between 1981 and 2005. It was exported worldwide as the Isuzu Bighorn, Isuzu Trooper, Isuzu Trooper II , Caribe 442, Acura SLX, Chevrolet Trooper, Subaru Bighorn, Honda Horizon, Opel/Vauxhall Monterey, Holden Jackaroo,...
|
|2,000
|Used by LIDs for their front line logistic
|-
|Jiefang Motors Langian
|
|
|Urban utility vehicles (non-combative)
|-
|Chin Dwin Star
|
|
|High Mobility Vehicle (locally reverse engineered AMC Hummer
Hummer
Hummer was a brand of trucks and SUVs, first marketed in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. In 1998, General Motors purchased the brand name and marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1, based on the Humvee; and the H2 and H3 models that were...
)
|}
See also
- Aung SanAung SanBogyoke Aung San ; 13 February 1915 – 19 July 1947) was a Burmese revolutionary, nationalist, and founder of the modern Burmese army, the Tatmadaw....
- Tatmadaw
- Myanmar Navy
- Myanmar Air Force
- Military Intelligence of Myanmar
- Myanmar Police ForceMyanmar Police ForceMyanmar Police Force, formally known as The People's Police Force , was established in 1964 as independent department under Ministry of Home Affairs. It was reorganised on 1 October 1995 and informally become part of Tatmadaw. Current Director General of Myanmar Police Force is Brigadier General...
External links
- Role of officers in Burmese Army (Part 1) Bo Htet Min, Mizzima, 23 January 2010