An interview with Ko Nyein, the person in charge of Cloud Wings drone force, regarding the escalation of drone offensives
Due to drone offensives by resistance forces across the country, Myanmar Army outposts have been forced to withdraw and consolidate their troops, as admitted by Major General Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson of the military council.
Meanwhile, the regime has loudly announced that it will take swift and effective action against the resistance forces’ shifting military strategies using drones.
In this interview with Than Lwin Times, Ko Nyein, in charge of Could Wings – a drone force operating in the Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 6 area, talks about drone operations, preparations, associated costs and the escalation of drone offensives.
Q: Can you tell us how and where you conduct drone offensives?
A: Our drone teams attack enemy military and administrative targets using guerrilla tactics. This includes attacks on artillery positions and airfields, as well as disrupting military movements to divert the enemy’s attention. In cooperation with ground forces, we sometimes participate directly in the seizure of camps and the clearing of routes. Drones have their own methods and tactics for military offensives.
Q: What preparations do drone teams need to make for effective drone operations?
A: In order for a drone to successfully attack a military target, many components and processes are required, such as equipment maintenance and repair. These devices often break down. It takes more to accomplish a mission than a conventional ground attack. We can’t afford to neglect a single component. In the current battles like Chaunghnitkhwa, we have dropped more than 200 bombs in a week. We have modified conventional mortar shells for use with our drones. It is not easy for the artillery to fire so many shells in a short time.
I would like to point out the cost of the bombs we drop and the repair costs, which depend on the battle. All this equipment has a limited lifespan. They can only be used a certain number of times. We have to replace certain parts. The cost of a single drone offensive is quite high. Every time we drop a bomb, we incur a lot of costs.
Q: How much does a single drone mission cost?
A: Drone teams don’t rely on manpower, they rely on equipment and technology to take the fight. It takes about five people to operate a single drone. The cost of a drone team of 5-6 people is not much different from the cost of deploying a ground company. Just as the junta troops receive air support, the resistance forces on the ground also receive air support through drone missions.
Q: The resistance forces are gaining momentum and launching attacks against the military council troops from all sides. Are the drone offensives also being stepped up?
A: The resistance is gaining momentum at the moment. As Cloud Wings, we don’t want to talk about the future. We are not going to take a break. If we could take a break one week a month, that would be really good. For comparison, in Operation 1027, we deployed our teams only on the night of 25 November. Since we entered the combat zones on the night of 26 November, we have not taken a single day’s break to date. There has not been a single day or night without drone strikes, just different locations, ground troops, ethnic revolutionary organizations, etc.
The escalation of the military offensives and the momentum of the resistance, coupled with the drone attacks, have all increased simultaneously. As I said before, we are carrying out coordinated ground and air strikes. As we work with our allied ground battalions, the drone offensives by our drone forces are keeping pace with the increasing momentum of the ground battalions.
Sent by Than Lwin Times.