Russia and Myanmar signed an agreement that includes the sale of the Pantsir-S1 air defence system, Orlan-10E UAV and radar station.

No information was given on the number of equipment subject to the agreement signed during Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu’s official visit to Myanmar. The parties also signed an agreement on flight safety.

The Pantsir-S1s are mounted on 8.8 trucks and can be effective at a maximum range of 12,000 meters. With radar and electronics equipped to the platform, air defence missions can be performed without being connected to the unity.

Designed to perform a wide range of missions, including reconnaissance, target detection, communications, the Orlan-10E is expected to be effective in protecting the border, military bases and air squares.

Myanmar, which has long been in cooperation with Russia in the military and technical field, hosts many Soviet and Russian-made equipment and platforms in its inventory.  The Myanmar army is armed with Mi-24, Mi-35 and Mi-17 helicopters, MiG-29 fighters, Yak-130 combat training aircraft, Pechora-2 anti-aircraft missile systems and other military equipment.

In 2019, Myanmar’s Ambassador to Russia announced that the country’s Defence Ministry was interested in the purchase of a fifth-generation Russian-made fighter jet. Naypyidaw is planning to buy the Su-57.