Myanmar Watch

 

 

A deadly new tactic is taking hold in Myanmar’s civil war, as the military junta increasingly deploys paramotors—motorised paragliders—to carry out low-cost, high-impact airstrikes on civilian gatherings.

 

On Monday night, a peaceful Thadingyut festival in Chang U township, Sagaing region, turned into a massacre when a paramotor dropped bombs on a crowd of nearly 100 people. The seven-minute attack killed at least 26 and injured dozens more. Survivors described scenes of horror, with one man telling Reuters he thought his legs had been severed before crawling into a ditch to survive.

 

This was not an isolated incident. Since late 2024, Myanmar’s military has ramped up its use of paramotors to target resistance strongholds and civilian areas. These lightweight aircraft—capable of carrying a pilot and several small bombs—are cheap to produce, easy to fly, and can strike with precision at low altitudes. Unlike conventional aircraft, paramotors require minimal training and can be deployed quickly, making them ideal for a military stretched thin by years of conflict.

 

According to the UN, paramotors typically carry 120mm bombs weighing up to 16kg. Their small size and GPS guidance allow them to fly under radar and strike targets with alarming accuracy. Yet their slow speed and loud engines make them vulnerable to ground fire, so they are often used at night in areas with limited resistance capabilities.

 

The junta’s growing reliance on paramotors reflects its dwindling air power and mounting resource constraints. Analysts say the tactic bridges the gap between drones and helicopters, offering greater range and payload than the former at a fraction of the cost of the latter.

 

Meanwhile, civilians remain the primary victims. With limited access to air raid shelters—costing more than a month’s wages for most—many are left defenceless. The attack in Chang U is the deadliest to date, but observers fear it won’t be the last.

 

As the conflict grinds into its fourth year, Myanmar’s military continues to receive support from China, including arms, drone technology, and technical expertise. While rebel groups still control large swathes of territory, the junta’s brutal aerial campaign is reshaping the battlefield—and deepening the suffering of ordinary people caught in the crossfire.

 

-2025-10-10

And nobody cares.....

On 10/10/2025 at 4:43 PM, geovalin said:

military junta increasingly deploys paramotors—motorised paragliders—to carry out low-cost, high-impact airstrikes on civilian gatherings.

 

Perhaps not anymore now that the resistance fighters know the tactic.

They are vulnerable, they can be heard coming from several miles away allowing armed resistance fighters to position and shoot them down, also shooting to kill the unprotected pilot. Burma's answer to Kamikaze pilots?

Just now, Burma Bill said:

 

Perhaps not anymore now that the resistance fighters know the tactic.

They are vulnerable, they can be heard coming from several miles away allowing armed resistance fighters to position and shoot them down, also shooting to kill the unprotected pilot. Burma's answer to Kamikaze pilots?

As long as the poor villagers have access to guns and bullets. Most do not. Sadly.