On the morning of January 16, 2023, an attack involving at least six UAVs carrying explosive warheads targeted two main locations in southern Myanmar’s populous region of Yangon. The platforms were all identical fixed-wing improvised loitering munitions loaded with small pipe IEDs with improvised point-detonating fuses fitted to their front, serving as warheads to initiate upon impact. At the end of the attempted attack, nearly all of the UAS were documented intact, after either being successfully intercepted or failing to initiate. Fixed wing platforms were not weaponized in Myanmar until recently due to their notable disadvantage compared to rotary-wing UAVs, modified to deliver an explosive payload (and return to base) by militants in Myanmar over the past year. The development of the newly introduced fixed-wing improvised loitering munitions represents a natural step in the rapid progression of combat and production capabilities of local armed groups, most notably the attempt to conduct a coordinated attack. In the coming months, we expect to see more groups in different areas experimenting with such platforms and enhancing their performance, posing a new threat to local security forces.
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