Myanmar Navy
Encyclopedia
| Myanmar Navy | |
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| Naval Staff | |
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| 19,000 | |
| Headquarters | |
| Naval headquarters (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... ) |
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| Strategic Naval Command (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... ) |
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| Naval Training Command (Seikkyi) | |
| Irrawaddy Regional Command (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... ) |
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| Danyawaddy Regional 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.... ) |
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| Panmawaddy Regional Command (Hainggyi Island) | |
| Mawyawaddy Regional Command (Mawlamyaing) | |
| Tanintharyi Regional Command (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... ) |
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| History | |
| Military history of Myanmar | |
| Armed Forces Day: 27 March | |
| Personnel | |
| List of senior officers | |
| Officer rank insignia | |
The Myanmar Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of Myanmar with 19,000 men and women. The Myanmar Navy currently operates more than 122 vessels. Before 1988, the Myanmar Navy was small and its role in the many counterinsurgency operations was much less conspicuous than those of the army and air force. Yet the navy has always been, and remains, an important factor in Myanmar's security and it was dramatically expanded in recent years to a provide blue water capability and external threat defence role in Myanmar's territorial waters.
Pre-independence
Founding and WWII
The Myanmar Navy was formed as the Navy of Burma in 1940 and, although very small, played an active part in Allied operations against the JapaneseEmpire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
during the Second World War.
Burma Independence
In December 1947, the Union of Burma Navy was formed with 700 men. The fleet initially consisted of a small but diverse collection of ships transferred from the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
under the arrangements made for Burma's independence in January 1948. It included UBS Mayu
UBS Mayu
UBS Mayu was the first flagship of the Burmese Navy. She was commissioned on 25 May 1947 and saw 32 years of active service during which she participated in many counter-insurgency campaigns, safeguarding Myanmar's territorial waters, and also served as training ship for the officers and ratings of...
, ex-Royal Navy River class 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"...
and four Landing Craft Gun (Medium). Armed with two 25-pounder (88 mm) guns and two 2-pounder (44 mm) guns, these landing craft were used as support gunboats.
1950s
In 1950 and 1951, the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
provided 10 coast guard cutters (CGC) under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP). The Myanmar Navy played an important part in the government's fight against the ethnic and ideological insurgent groups which threatened the Union Government in its early days. The Myanmar Navy performed both defensive and offensive roles, protecting convoys, carrying supplies, ferrying troops and giving much-needed fire support. It was instrumental in relieving the port city of Moulmein, which was captured by Karen insurgents in 1948, and the Irrawaddy Delta
Irrawaddy Delta
The Irrawaddy Delta or Ayeyarwady Delta lies in the Ayeyarwady Region , the lowest expanse of land in Burma that fans out from the limit of tidal influence at Myan Aung to the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, 290 km to the south at the mouth of the Ayeyarwady River...
town of Bassein
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....
. Although one armed patrol boat defected to the Karen insurgents, throughout the turbulent years of post independence in Myanmar, the navy was largely unopposed and managed to maintain control over Myanmar's crucial inland waterways.
In 1956 and 1957, Myanmar government acquired five 50 long tons (50.8 t) Saunders-Roe Dark class
Dark class fast patrol boat
The Dark class, or Admiralty "Type A", were a class of eighteen fast patrol boats that served with the United Kingdom's Royal Navy starting in 1954. All were named with a prefix of 'Dark'. The class could be fitted as either motor gun boats or motor torpedo boats, depending on the type of armament...
convertible motor torpedo/motor gunboats, followed by an 1040 long tons (1,056.7 t) Algerine class minesweeper
Algerine class minesweeper
The Algerine-class was a class of minesweepers of the Royal Navy and the Commonwealth. 110 ships of the class were launched between 1942 and 1944 and served in World War II....
in 1958 from the United Kingdom. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, United States sold Myanmar Navy six PGM type coastal patrol crafts and seven CGC type patrol boats. In the mid 1960s, Myanmar Navy took delivery of ex-US Navy 640 long tons (650.3 t) PCE-827 class corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
and a 650 long tons (660.4 t) Admirable class minesweeper
Admirable class minesweeper
The Admirable class was the largest and one of the most successful classes of minesweepers the United States Navy ordered during World War II. Typically, the minesweeper detected and removed mines before the rest of the fleet arrived, thereby ensuring safe passage for the larger ships...
, both of which were commissioned in the mid 1940s. In 1978, United States provided Myanmar Navy with six small river patrol crafts. In 1958, Myanmar Navy took delivery of 10 Y-301 class river gunboats from Yugoslavia, followed by 25 smaller Michao class patrol crafts.
1960s
Efforts were made to produce locally made Naval vessels with assistance from Yugoslavia. In 1960, Myanmar Navy commissioned two 400 long tons (406.4 t) Nawarat Class corvettes. Their armaments include 25-pounder field gunOrdnance 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...
and 40 mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft gun
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
. Myanmar shipyards also built the navy a number of smaller patrol crafts and a number of landing crafts. Landing crafts and auxiliary ships are usually armed with Oerlikon 20 mm cannons
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
, 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft gun
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
s and Heavy machine guns.
1970s
Although the Myanmar Navy expanded rapidly during 1950s and 1960s, however, the navy was unable to keep pace with loss or deterioration of older vassels in 1970s until naval replacement program was initiated by BSPP Government in 1979. In 1980, the Myanmar Navy acquired six Carpentaria class inshore patrol boats from Australia followed by three 128-ton Swift type coastal patrol boats from Singapore and three 385-ton Ospery class offshore patrol vessels built in Denmark. The Ospery and Swift class boats have a range of 4500 and 1800 mi (7,242 and 2,896.8 ) respectively and were armed with Oerlikon 20 mm cannonOerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
s and 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft gun
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
s. In the early years of 1980s, Myanmar shipyards built three 128-ton PGM type patrol boats based upon US PGM Class patrol boats. Each boat was armed with two 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft gun
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
s and two 12.7 mm Heavy machine guns.
1990s
The Myanmar Navy bought 6 Missile Escort Boats & 10 Submarine Chaser from China. Since 1998, the navy has built three 77m Corvettes (771, 772, 773) and four FACs (551-564).May 2008 Cyclone Nargis
As many as 25 Burmese naval ships may have been sunk in the storm caused by Cyclone NargisCyclone Nargis
Cyclone Nargis , was a strong tropical cyclone that caused the worst natural disaster in the recorded history of Burma. The cyclone made landfall in Burma on Friday, May 2, 2008, causing catastrophic destruction and at least 138,000 fatalities...
in May 2008 while an unknown number of naval personnel and their family members were killed or are listed as missing. The Network for Democracy and Development http://dannai.civiblog.org/blog/_archives/2008/10/16/3932867.html, in Thailand, reported that 30 officers and 250 Burmese naval personnel have being declared missing, while 25 vessels were destroyed by the cyclone in three naval regional command centers: Panmawaddy Regional Command on Hainggyi Island; Irrawaddy Regional Command; and Danyawaddy Regional Command in Sittwe in Arakan State.
Role
The primary task of the navy is to patrol the country's rivers and inshore waters in support of the army's counterinsurgency operations. One third of the fleet is dedicated for this operation under the Strategic Naval Force . The navy is used for reconnaissanceReconnaissance
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....
, as well as to provide fire support and help maintain static defence around strategic towns. The Myanmar Navy also helps to supplement the army's logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
supply system during counterinsurgency campaigns.
The secondary task is to perform coastal surveillance and provide fisheries protection for the country's 148,000 kilometre maritime zone against fish poaching, smuggling, insurgent movements and pirate activities. Long-range patrols are conducted by the navy's larger warships although operations further afield are rare. (The navy's former flagship, UBS Mayu
UBS Mayu
UBS Mayu was the first flagship of the Burmese Navy. She was commissioned on 25 May 1947 and saw 32 years of active service during which she participated in many counter-insurgency campaigns, safeguarding Myanmar's territorial waters, and also served as training ship for the officers and ratings of...
made several longer voyages including a number diplomatic visits to regional countries before it was decommissioned.)
The Myanmar navy does not operate a separate fleet air arm. If needed navy draws resources from the Myanmar Air Force for maritime surveillance and other forms of fleet air support.
Former and current Commanders-in-Chief since independence
- 1. CommanderCommanderCommander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Khin Maung Bo - 2. CommodoreCommodore (rank)Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Than Pe - 3. Commodore Thaung Tin
- 4. Rear-Adm.Rear AdmiralRear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Chit Hlaing - 5. Rear-Adm. Maung Maung win
- 6. Vice-Adm.Vice AdmiralVice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Maung Maung Khin - 7. Vice-Adm. Thein Nyunt
- 8. Vice-Adm. Tin Aye
- 9. Vice-Adm. Nyunt Thein
- 10. Vice-Adm. Kyi Min
- 11. Vice-Adm. Soe Thein
- 12. Adm. Nyan Tun
Commanders of Naval Region Command
| Naval Region Command | Commanding Officer |
|---|---|
| Irrawaddy Naval Region Command | Comodore Maung Oo Lwin |
| Danyawaddy Regional Command | Comodore Tin Aung San |
| Panmawaddy Regional Command | Comodore Myo Myint Than |
| Mawyawaddy Regional Command | Captain Nay Win |
| Tanintharyi Regional Command | Comodore Myint Ngwe |
| No(1) Naval Training School | Captain Moe Aung |
| Naval Dorckyard Headquarters | Rear-Adm myint tun |
| No(1)Fleet (Yangon) | Captain Mya Win |
| No(2)Fleet (Heinzae) | Captain Htay Naing |
| No(3)Fleet ( Kyut Phyu) | Captain Aung Zaw Hlaing |
Administrative and Support Units
- Naval headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Naypyidaw)
- Strategic Naval Command (headquarters in NaypyidawNaypyidawNaypyidaw 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...
) - Naval Training Command (Seikkyi)
- Naval Shipyard Headquarters (Yangon)
- Central Naval Hydrographic Depot (Yangon)
- Central Naval Diving and Salvage Depot (Yangon)
- Central Naval Engineering Depot (botataung,Yangon)
- Central Naval Stores Depot (Yangon)
- Central Naval Communications Depot (Yangon)
- Central Naval Armaments Deport (Seikkyi)
Naval Regional Commands and Bases
- Irrawaddy Regional Command (headquarters in Yangon)
- Thanhklyet Soon Naval Base
- Bassein Naval Base
- Coco Island Base (Naval Radar Unit)
- Danyawaddy Regional Command (headquarters in Sittwe)
- Kyaukpyu Naval Base
- ThandweThandwe-Ngapali Beach:Ngapali Beach is a beach located 7 kilometres from the town of Thandwe , in Rakhine State, Myanmar. It is the most famous beach in Myanmar and is a popular tourist destination...
(Sandoway) Naval Base
- Panmawaddy Regional Command (headquarters on Hainggyi Island)
- Mawyawaddy Regional Command (headquarters in Moulmein)
- Tanintharyi Regional Command (headquarters in Mergui)
- Zadetkyi Island Naval Base
- Mali (Tavoy) Naval Base
- Palai Island Naval Base
- Kadan Naval Base
- Sakanthit Naval Base
- Lambi Naval Base
- Pearl Island Naval Base
- Zadetkale Naval Base (Radar Unit)
Naval Infantry
The Myanmar Navy formed a naval infantry battalion of 800 men in 1964, and a second battalion in 1967. Third and fourth battalions may have also been raised. They battalions traditionally are deployed mainly in the Arakan, Tenasserim and Irrawaddy delta coastal regions primarily to assist in the army's counter-insurgency operations.Myanmar Navy Corvette and Frigate Classes
| Country | Vessle Type | Name | Missile | Meter | Tons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myanmar | Corvette | Anawrahta | 4×C-801 SSM | 77 | 1850 |
| Myanmar | Frigate | Aung Zeya | 4× SSM | 108 | 2530 |
Ships
| Vessel Type | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Frigate | 1 |
| Corvettes | 2 |
| Fast Attack Craft (Gun) | 9 |
| Fast Attack Craft (Missile) | 5 |
| Fast Attack Craft (Yan 037_Sub-Chaser) | 6 |
| Missile Escort Boats (037 -1G) | 6 |
| Inshore Patrol Boats | 2 |
| River Patrol Craft | 25 |
| Gunboats | 20 |
| Survey Ships | 1 |
| Support Ships | 3 |
| Transport/Landing Ships | 9 |
| Total | 115 |
Guided-Missile Frigate
| Name | Vessle Type | Number | Meter | Build | Weapons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMS Aung Zeya | Guided-Missile | F-11 | 134 | 1×76mm Gun,8×C-802 SSM,32×HQ-16 SAM,2×Type-730 CIWS,2×ZPU-2,RBU-1200, | |
| UMS Hsinbyushin | Guided-Missile | F-12 | 134 | 1×76mm Gun,8×C-802 SSM,32×HQ-16 SAM,2×Type-730 CIWS,2×ZPU-2,RBU-1200, | |
| UMS Razadarit | Guided-Missile | F-13 | 134 | 1×76mm Gun,8×C-802 SSM,32×HQ-16 SAM,2×Type-730 CIWS,2×ZPU-2,RBU-1200, | |
| UMS Tabinshwehti | Guided-Missile | F-14 | 134 | 1×76mm Gun,8×C-802 SSM,32×HQ-16 SAM,2×Type-730 CIWS,2×ZPU-2,RBU-1200, | |
| Aung Sit Te | Guided-Missile | F-22 | 108 | 1×76mm Gun,4×C-802 SSM,8FM-90M,4×AK-230,2×ZPU-2,RBU-1200,1xtype-90 122mm MRLS | |
| Aung Yan Naing | Guided-Missile | F-33 | 108 | 2×76mm Guns,4×Gabriel SSM,4×Type-69 14.5mm AA Guns,1×Type-90 122mm MRLS | |
| Aung Moe Hyain | Light Frigate | F-44 | 105 | 2×76mm Guns,4×AK-230 Guns,2×37mm Anti-Aircraft Guns |
See also
- UBS MayuUBS MayuUBS Mayu was the first flagship of the Burmese Navy. She was commissioned on 25 May 1947 and saw 32 years of active service during which she participated in many counter-insurgency campaigns, safeguarding Myanmar's territorial waters, and also served as training ship for the officers and ratings of...
- 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....
- Myanmar Army
- 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...
- Myanmar Frontier Forces