Jordan’s Royal Air Force Offers Two CASA C295 Warplanes to Myanmar

Myanmar’s air force is acquiring two Airbus CASA C295 aircraft valued at $38.6 million from the Royal Jordanian Air Force to lessen reliance on Chinese weaponry, as reported by the country’s Economic Times (ET).

Major General Zaw Min Tun recently disclosed to local media that these new aircraft from Jordan are intended to replace the military’s outdated fleet of Chinese-manufactured Y-8s. Nonetheless, CASA C295s can be modified for troop deployment or utilized as gunships.

The aircraft is produced and assembled at the Airbus Defense and Space facility located in Seville, Spain. Its short takeoff and landing capabilities render it particularly suitable for Myanmar’s terrain. This agreement is part of the Myanmar Military’s initiative to seek alternatives to China, following concerns about the subpar quality of military equipment from the nation, coupled with internal criticism regarding excessive reliance on Chinese resources, according to ET.

The Myanmar military is also in pursuit of advanced jet fighters and naval vessels to safeguard offshore gas pipelines and to patrol the nation’s borders, maritime boundaries, and airspace to prevent incursions by foreign aircraft, a recent report from Myanmar’s leading media outlet The Irrawaddy indicates. Since President U Thein Sein assumed office in 2011, 96 aircraft—including 79 planes of 10 different types and 17 helicopters of five various types—have been integrated into the air force fleet, as per the Myanmar military.

Myanmar has further strengthened its military bonds with Moscow to diminish its dependency on China. Since obtaining 12 MiG-29B fighter jets from Russia in 2001, the military has consistently secured progressively advanced weaponry from Moscow. Since 2011, military relations between Myanmar and Russia have flourished.

From 2001 to 2016, Russia constituted the largest portion of Myanmar’s military procurements, with the total value of acquisitions from Russia ($1.45 billion) surpassing those from China ($1.42 billion) during that timeframe, according to the Irrawaddy report. Myanmar frequently sends officers to Russia for training, with hundreds of military personnel studying at Russia’s esteemed military educational institutions. In addition to ties with Russia, Myanmar is also expanding its security collaborations with Japan.