Military chief calls for greater air campaign effectiveness

By Admin 16 Dec 2024

DMG Newsroom
16 December 2024, Mrauk-U

Junta boss Min Aung Hlaing has called for continuous training “to fully utilise the capabilities of warplanes, gunships and their weapon systems” as his regime continues its ruthless air campaign against civilian populations in Myanmar.

He was addressing the 77th anniversary of the Myanmar Air Force on Sunday at Meiktila air base in Mandalay Region, where new aircraft and helicopters were commissioned into service.

He urged the Air Force — which is responsible for killing hundreds of civilians and damaging or destroying countless civilian buildings over the past three years — to “continue actively participating in national defence, construction, and development efforts” and “enhance the reputation of the Myanmar military.”

He noted that air power and space power play crucial roles in today’s warfare. He instructed the Air Force to try to keep pace with the latest developments and adapt accordingly.

Despite his calls for the utilisation of warplanes, some military aircraft have been grounded due to technical problems while some have crashed due to resistance attacks and mechanical failures.

The regime has heavily relied on air power to attack resistance forces since the 2021 coup. Its air raids have, however, done little damage to anti-regime groups, while inflicting heavy civilian casualties and massive property damage.

A young man monitoring armed conflict in Arakan State said: “The military heavily uses air raids to support its ground troops, but civilians have been suffering the brunt. The international community should put greater pressure on the regime to stop its airstrikes.”

The military junta, losing control over large swaths of territories across the country, has resorted to daily airstrikes on civilian areas, including towns and villages, displacement camps, schools, hospitals and religious buildings.

On October 21, a junta airstrike killed seven civilians including a pregnant woman, and left more than 10 people injured in Hparwutchaung Village, Maungdaw Township.

Local resident U Hla Phyu from Hparwutchaung recounted: “My family has 11 members, 10 of whom were hit during the air attack. Three adults including a woman seven months pregnant were killed. Our village doesn’t have an AA outpost.”

According to a report by the Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar on November 4, the regime carried out more than 7,100 air raids from the 2021 coup to October 6, 2024.