Mobius 7/2024 – Industrial Production of Grenade Launchers by Myanmar Armed Groups

Since the 2021 coup and the ensuing conflict, particularly in the past two years, there is a notable proliferation of several types of standard weapons among armed groups across Myanmar. Among these weapons are two primary types of 40 mm grenade launchers: a single-shot launcher and a six-shot revolver launcher. Additionally, a grenade launcher compatible with locally manufactured ammunition has been observed, attributed to the Kachin Independence Army. While these weapon types were already familiar due to their use by veteran ethnic armed organizations prior to the coup, they have now been acquired by newly formed militias aligned with the People’s Defense Force, who are utilizing them extensively. What unites all these weapons is their uniform appearance, suggesting mass production through industrial or semi-industrial means, with the grenade launchers possibly even being of military-grade production.