Between February 18 and 24, 2023, an account associated with several militias in the People’s Defense Force published detailed documentation showing flight and operational tests of at least three models of fixed-wing drones with explosive payloads for use in various attack scenarios against positions and forces of the Myanmar Army and police. The presented drones included both light and heavy models designed for carrying up to two bomblets for release over the target, as well as an improvised loitering munition version. Later that month, and especially during March 2023, more footage from several militias in Sagaing, Magway and Mandalay regions in the northwest, west and center of the country showed the frequent use of armed fixed-wing drones in operational use targeting bases and positions of Burmese security forces. Weaponized fixed-wing UAVs only appeared in Myanmar in October 2022, assembled by militias in the border areas of the country, and their use in areas inside the country has gained momentum since January 2023. Their incorporation in a growing number of attacks likely stems from an attempt to optimize operations in this field against the army, which is better equipped for intercepting rotary-wing drones massively used by militants to date, and also because fixed-wing platforms are significantly cheaper and more available. The militants are currently attempting to overcome the main drawback of using fixed-wing drones for payload release – their limited accuracy.
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