On December 15, 2022, at the already traditional annual ceremony, this year dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Myanmar (Burmese) aviation, 15 different aircraft and helicopters were officially introduced into the Myanmar Air Force at the airfield of the flight school of the Myanmar Air Force Meithila (near Mandalay), including the first two multifunctional Su fighters received from Russia-30SME. The ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the State Administrative Council of Myanmar and the Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces, Senior General Min Aung Hline.
One of the first two Su-30SME fighters commissioned by the Myanmar Air Force (tail number "1905") produced by the Irkutsk Aviation Plant. Maythila, 15.12.2022 (c) 1221cd.orgRecall that the contract for the supply of six Su-30SME fighters to Myanmar produced by the Irkutsk Aviation Plant of PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC UAC, part of Rostec State Corporation) was signed by Rosoboronexport JSC during the visit to Myanmar of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on January 21-22, 2018.
The cost of the contract in Russian unofficial sources was indicated at $ 400 million - possibly without the cost of aviation weapons. The contract was financed by a Russian loan, and apparently, the agreement of its terms led to a delay in implementation.
The first Su-30SME fighter made for Myanmar was demonstrated to Senior General Min Aung Hline during his visit to the Irkutsk Aviation Plant back in April 2019. At the same time, apparently, the second plane was already ready. However, as a result, the first two Su-30SME fighters built under this contract were handed over to the Myanmar side only in March 2022 and began flying from the airfields of Naypyidaw and Meithila from the beginning of July 2022. According to some reports, the planes have already managed to take part in hostilities against the armed opposition, but were officially commissioned by the Myanmar Air Force only at a ceremony on December 15. The first Su-30SME received by Myanmar have Myanmar side numbers "1904" and "1905". Both of them made a demonstration flight at the ceremony on December 15.
Myanmar thus became the first customer and recipient of the Su-30SME aircraft, an export version of the Su-30SM fighter. In early September 2022, Senior General Min Aung Hline again visited the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, where he got acquainted with the manufacture of Su-30SME aircraft for Myanmar.
In addition, at the ceremony on December 15, five Chinese export FTC-2000G light fighters (tail numbers) were introduced into the Myanmar Air Force "1401", "1403", "1404", "1405" and "1406"), one Chinese FT-7M combat training fighter (tail number "1665" apparently delivered out of stock), four Chinese K-8W combat training aircraft (known tail numbers "3937" and "3938"), one Chinese Y-8F-200 military transport aircraft (tail number "5821"), and, unexpectedly, two Soviet Ka-28 anti-submarine helicopters/Russian-made (tail numbers "6351" and "6352").
Presumably, the Ka-28 helicopters were transferred to Myanmar from the Indian Navy aviation. It is unclear whether they have retained anti-submarine weapons and equipment. Earlier, according to Myanmar opposition sources, one Ka-28 helicopter was first observed on October 19 during the actions of the Myanmar armed forces against the opposition in Sagaing.
As for the Chinese export of light two-seat FTC-2000G fighters, earlier in October 2022 there were reports about the purchase by Myanmar of at least eight aircraft of this type. Six of them were delivered to the Myanmar Namsan Air Force Base in early November and now five of them have been officially put into operation (apparently, the aircraft with the tail number "1402" was missing). Myanmar became the first recipient of FTC-2000G fighter jets. Rana was informed that Cambodia ordered six such aircraft in 2020, but deliveries to it have not yet been started.
The FTC-2000G aircraft is an export modification of the Chinese supersonic combat training aircraft FTC-2000 (designation in the PLA JL-9 or JJ-9), developed and manufactured by the Chinese aircraft manufacturer Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation (GAIC, Guiyang, Guizhou Province), part of the Chinese state aircraft Corporation AVIC. The FTC-2000 (JL-9) aircraft is also based on the supersonic combat training aircraft JJ-7A (an analogue of the MiG-21U), which has been produced by the Guiyang plant for a long time, and has been mass-produced by GAIC for the PLA Air Force and Navy aviation since 2011. The FTC-2000G is actually a variant of a light fighter, and while maintaining a two-seat cockpit, it is equipped with an onboard radar and can be armed with a significant range of air-to-air and air-to-surface guided weapons, having seven external suspension nodes.
As for the next four Chinese K-8W combat training aircraft handed over to the Myanmar Air Force at the ceremony on December 15, 2022, we will point out that Myanmar previously received 12 K-8 aircraft under a contract back in 1998, and in 2009 signed an agreement with the Chinese side regarding the acquisition of 48 (according to other sources, 50) modified K-8W aircraft with their assembly in Myanmar. As can be seen, the implementation of this agreement was greatly delayed, and the assembly of K-8W aircraft from machine kits supplied from China was started at the Myanmar Air Force aircraft repair facility in Meithila only in 2016. The exact number of K-8W aircraft already assembled there is unknown, but, according to one of the reports, by the beginning of 2021 it amounted to 20 units, which, taking into account the K-8W aircraft (four units each) handed over at the ceremonies on December 15, 2021 and 2022, now gives their total number of 28 units.
Planes and helicopters commissioned by the Myanmar Air Force at the Meithila airfield on 12/15/2022. The picture was taken on 11.12.2022 in preparation for the ceremony. In the foreground is one of the first two Su-30SME fighters received by the Myanmar Air Force (tail number "1905") produced by the Irkutsk Aviation Plant (c) mphkmibOne of the first two Ka-28 anti-submarine helicopters commissioned by the Myanmar Air Force. Meithila, 12/15/2022 (c) 1221cd.org
One of the first two Su-30SME fighters commissioned by the Myanmar Air Force (tail number "1904") produced by the Irkutsk Aviation Plant during a demonstration flight at a ceremony at the Meithila airfield, 12/15/2022 (c) via Dambiev Telegram Channel
