An interview with former Air Force Sergeant Zeya, who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), about the arrival of two Russian Su-30 SME fighter jets
As reported by the Russian state news agency RIA, the junta’s Industry Minister Dr. Charlie Than confirmed that two Su-30 SME fighter jets stationed in Russia have arrived in Myanmar for the first time. Russia and the Myanmar military junta signed an agreement in September 2022 to supply six Su-30 SME fighter jets, and now the first delivery has arrived.
In this interview with Than Lwin Times, CDM Air Force Seargeant Zeya talks about the strengths of these newly arrived Su-30 fighter jets and how the military junta might use them for airstrikes in the coming dry season, as well as precautions and preparations related to countering airstrikes.
Q: First, please tell us about the current state of the military’s air force and how much they rely on aircraft in combat.
A: The military has had no real military strategy or expertise from the beginning. Their main tactic is to use overwhelming firepower and weapons against Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) that don’t have heavy weapons. Because of their numerical superiority and their ability to use a variety of heavy weapons, they have recently relied heavily on aircraft.
They also use aircraft to transport supplies. If aircraft don’t arrive in the final phase of a battle, they simply surrender. They also use planes for reconnaissance of enemy camps. So these planes have become very important to their military.
Q: Please tell us about the two newly arrived aircraft from Russia. What are their strengths and weaknesses?
A: The two aircraft arrived as the first batch back in 2022. Their announcement came late. I already knew that two would arrive in 2022 and two more in 2023. I don’t know if they arrived this year or if they will come next year. Six are supposed to come, and they practice in Naypyitaw. They make long flights from Naypyitaw over the Hainggyikyun and back to Arakan State and to Magway and Gangaw and then back to Naypyitaw. So they have flown a long way.
From Naypyitaw, they fly north to Myitkyina, to northern and eastern Shan State, and practice in this way. So from Naypyitaw, they can reach any part of Myanmar to bomb targets. That is their strength. Each plane can carry about 250 bombs in its belly and drop hundreds of them. Their weakness is the high cost. The munitions they use are expensive, costing dollars.
Even a full year after buying them from Russia, they haven’t used them yet. They use them only for exhibition purposes. This war is not that costly for them. The strength of the fighter jets is that they can do targeted bombing from Naypyidaw. They can carry large bomb loads. But the high cost of using them means that the junta is unlikely to use the jets often. In the coming dry season, they may increase their use of the jets to bomb targets.
But this war is dragging on. The production of bombs is limited. They have to buy the components in dollars. That is very costly for them. Also, they need them during the rainy season. They are unlikely to use 250- or 500-pound bombs because it is difficult for them to produce the quantity they need. Therefore, during the dry season, they can use smaller 120- or 50-pound bombs, which are easier to produce.
The bombs currently used are not very powerful. They are only conventional bombs. The junta uses the jets to bomb camps to intimidate the soldiers and prevent them from simply surrendering to the enemy. Their airstrikes are not very effective. If the junta’s airstrikes were that effective, the question is how long we could withstand them.
Q: In the current situation, it is not possible to counter the military junta’s airstrikes; we can only defend ourselves. How should the defense forces prepare?
A: Civilians in conflict areas should systematically build bomb shelters in every house. Stockpiles of food, including dried rice, are a must. Ordinary civilians and IDPs should build bomb shelters because they can’t defend themselves. PDF outposts should also be built sturdily and provided with bunkers.
The PDF drone forces are essentially today’s air force. They should be systematically trained to recognize and counter enemy tactics and behaviors from the air. Defense forces should support this. Intercepting and destroying fuel supply lines is also an essential task.
Q: What do you say about the ineffective response of the international community to the military junta’s airstrikes?
A: The international community is doing just enough to appear to be supporting the people. In the case of jet fuel, the junta won’t say that they are buying it for the air force. The international community puts its own interests first and supports this side because democracy is a country that comes with humanitarian systems. They are just doing enough for show. In reality, they are only acting in their own interest.
Since they have little interest in us, they only provide paper-level assistance. We don’t have much to complain about. Countries always put their own interests first. We don’t have much to complain about. I see that most of the international community is just expressing concern and condolences. That’s how I see it. If we ignore injustice, it will come to them too.
Sent by Than Lwin Times.