Myanmar’s military regime has received six additional Su-30 fighter jets ordered from Russia, as reported by The Irrawaddy, citing the Army Recognition Group (ARG) defense publication.
The final two jets of this shipment were commissioned at Mandalay’s Meiktila Air Base during a ceremony on December 15, marking the 77th anniversary of the Myanmar Air Force. The event was overseen by junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.
The acquisition of the six Su-30SME multirole fighter jets, valued at $400 million, was part of a 2018 contract financed through a Russian loan.
Lieutenant General Alexander Fomin, Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister, informed the Russian news agency TASS that these Su-30 jets will serve as Myanmar’s primary aircraft for safeguarding territorial integrity and countering terror threats.
Junta media confirmed that additional warplanes and helicopters were also commissioned during the December ceremony, though their models were not specified. Reports mentioned that a post-fourth-generation Su-30 jet participated in the air parade.
During the ceremony, Min Aung Hlaing emphasized the importance of enhancing air campaign effectiveness through continuous training to fully utilize the capabilities of aircraft, helicopters, and weapon systems.
Min Aung Hlaing said that these jets would enhance the regime’s air superiority and commended Air Force pilots for their efforts in battles in northern Shan State.
However, nearly all of northern Shan State fell to forces led by the Brotherhood Alliance in the following months.
Since the 2021 coup, the junta has targeted civilian areas, including schools, healthcare facilities, displacement camps, and religious sites, with air strikes against rebel forces and ethnic armed groups.
Despite international condemnation, these air strikes have escalated, resulting in at least 814 deaths and 1,639 airstrikes from January to August 2024, according to Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica, a group monitoring junta abuses.
Despite its air superiority, the regime has lost significant territories in ethnic states and central Myanmar, along with hundreds of junta positions, including two regional commands in northern Shan State and Rakhine.