Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing commissioned 10 military aircraft at a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of Myanmar’s Air Force on December 15. This reported by Eleven.

A total of 10 airplanes — six Yak-130s, two Fokker-70s and two ATR 42-320s — were put into operation at the morning ceremony, held at the Air Training School in Meiktila Station in Mandalay Region. The Yak 130 is a two-seat advanced jet trainer and light-attack aircraft.

The military chief stressed the vital importance of air power in the current era of asymmetric warfare around the world, reported the Office of the Commander-in-Chief.

He called for a transforming modernisation of the Tatmadaw air force. The country needs superior air power to enhance the effectiveness of ground troops and bring about a battle victory in a conflict, he said.

“The Tatmadaw must sharpen its combat prowess and power to become a modern armed force standing shoulder to shoulder with international counterparts. The Tatmadaw must turn out skilled pilots, technicians and gunners,” said Min Aung Hlaing.

Myanmar’s air force lagged a technological generation behind those of other countries in the region, he said. 

In the 1990s it had second-generation jet fighters, mid-level transport planes and high-calibre multi-purpose helicopters. In 2011, it started using the fourth generation MIG-29s and was able to catch up with the neighbouring countries and regional countries.

Through the decades, the air force had advanced from propeller-driven aircraft to jets and now jumped to fourth-generation jets. 

Because pilots cannot be trained directly on the fourth-generation jets, the air force also needs mid-level trainers that produce frontline combat-ready pilots, the main requirement for national defence, said Min Aung Hlaing.

Also present at the ceremony were Kyu Kyu Hla, wife of the Senior General, the Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Tin Aung San, Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Khin Aung Myint, former commanders-in-chief (Navy and Air).

Other included senior military officers of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the commander of Central Command, commanders of airbase headquarters, officers, other ranks and families from Meiktila Station and war veterans of Tatmadaw (Air) and guests.

During the event, airplanes and helicopters showed their skills in flight demonstrations. On November 8, the Tass news agency quoted a Russian military officer as saying that a light Yak-130 is worth about US$15 million (20.4 billion kyat) and that Myanmar had signed a sales contract in 2015 after three years of study.

Mikhali Petukhov, deputy director of Russia’s Service for Military and Technical Cooperation disclosed the information to the Tass news agency on the sidelines of a defence and security exposition of Asean countries held in Thailand.

Petukhov said as the first batch of three Yak-130s were sent to Myanmar in 2016 and three more followed in 2017. He added that it was expected to send more in 2018.

Yak-130s are reportedly being used in Algeria, Bangladesh Belarus, Russia and Syria.