By Maung Dagon / MPA 

Before the Operation 1027 of the Northern Brotherhood Alliance in Northern Shan State, even high-ranking officials in the junta military had not studied drone warfare strategies, according to the writings of a Brigadier General.

Brigadier General Soe Nyunt, a DSA Batch 35 graduate, admitted in a book he translated on drone warfare that drone warfare strategies had not been studied before Operation 1027.  

“We must honestly admit that it was only when revolutionary forces (originally referred to as ‘terrorist insurgents’) in Myanmar’s internal armed conflict innovatively used drones that we began to show interest in this form of warfare,” wrote Brigadier General Soe Nyunt in the book.

The book appears to have been quickly translated and published in October, before the Northern Brotherhood Alliance Forces seized Lashio and after the capture of Laukkai.

“The translation was not clear. Even the author admitted his lack of expertise. It seems the translation was done in a rush based on orders from his superior,” a reader remarked.

During the second and third phases of Operation 1027, the Northern Brotherhood Alliance used an estimated 25,000 drone bombs to target military bases, battalions, and headquarters, significantly damaging military forces, according to a revolutionary in Pale Township, Sagaing Region. 

“The drones used in the current conflict were modified agricultural drones. These are not military-grade drones, but they still inflicted significant damage on the military. So, they ordered drones from China. Even though the military has acquired drones from China, they cannot fully leverage modern warfare technologies,” the source explained.

The writer, Brigadier General Soe Nyunt, has served as high ranking official of junta army in various countries with advanced drone technology, including Israel, China, India, Poland, and Thailand, 

Despite the confession that even senior officers lack expertise in using drones in combat, pro-junta lobbyists have spread propaganda claiming that the coup leader has refrained from using drones to show mercy for the revolutionary forces.

“To immediately take action on UAV surveillance, in the Ukraine-Russia war, rockets have been mounted on UAVs (drones) and intercept enemy targets. But, the chairman of the military council seems to be magnanimous. There have been no UAV attacks,” a military lobbyist propagated. 

According to military reports, the military junta has struggled to counter the drone attacks used by resistance forces in battles in northern Shan State and Rakhine State. After suffering significant losses in these conflicts, the junta reportedly turned to China and Russia to purchase military-grade and dual-use drones. These drones are now being used to launch counterattacks against resistance forces.