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ANTHONY DAVIS JDW Correspondent Bangkok Additional reporting RODNEY TASKER JDW Correspondent Bangkok Myanmar's United Wa State Army (UWSA), a north-eastern minority force aligned with the Yangon military regime, has acquired an improved manportable surface-to-air missile (SAM) capability from China in recent months. Thai intelligence sources say the 20,000-strong UWSA, which is currently reinforcing its forces along the volatile Mynamar-Thai border, has obtained HN-5N SAMs from China. The system marks a significant improvement over the older Soviet-designed SA-7 (NATO reporting name: 'Grail'), which the UWSA had earlier acquired from Cambodian black market sources through Thailand. Among its other attributes, the HN-5N can engage aircraft head-on. The new SAMs appear to be part of a growing military and civilian build-up by the UWSA along the Thai border, where the Wa are reported to run 40-50 laboratories producing illicit methamphetamines for the Thai market. UWSA military strength adjacent to the northern Thai border provinces of Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son is currently estimated by Royal Thai Army sources at around 8,000, a significant increase over the estimated 3,500 Wa troops deployed along the border a year ago. It is unclear whether the new SAMs were acquired through the Chinese black market or with Beijing's approval. However, Thai military intelligence reports made available to Jane's Defence Weekly indicate that Chinese military personnel have been involved in training UWSA elements in Myanmar's northern Shan State. The UWSA has good cross-border relations with China through its previous incarnation as part of the pro-Beijing Communist Party of Burma. JDW's sources further noted that since major clashes between Thai and Myanmar forces on the border in February, a group of Chinese air-traffic control specialists had visited the eastern city of Keng Tung, headquarters of the Myanmar Army's Golden Triangle Regional Military Command, and the town of Tachilek on the Thai border. • In a related development, the Royal Thai Army (RTA) has bought its first two multirole S-70A Black Hawk helicopters under a government-to-government deal with the USA worth around $20 million. The aircraft are now being assembled for delivery at the end of the year. They will be used mainly for surveillance along the Thai and Myanmar border, a senior RTA officer told JDW. The Royal Thai Navy already operates the maritime version of the Black Hawk, the S-70B Seahawk. It has six Seahawks deployed on the carrier Chakri Naruebet, which is based in the Gulf of Thailand.
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S p o n s o r :
Intelligence Review Fighting Ships All the World's Aircraft International Defense Review
DEFENCE Allies assess implications of EP-3E in Chinese hands Aries Photo Gallery 'Bridges of Friendship' brings out some rare naval sightings AIR FORCES USMC report casts doubt about future of Osprey 'Smart' payloads offered for Russian air-launched rockets Boeing considers feasibility of plasma-based weapons LAND FORCES China markets Type W99 mortar Djibouti to get Caspir APCs Myanmar heat turned up with SAMs from China NAVAL FORCES Russia's navy looks to show the flag again France will modernise its Exocets UAE commits to missile boat |
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