It was at this time that the newly installed commander-in-chief, Snr-Gen Than Shwe, began to use the annual Armed Forces Day to articulate his plans to modernize
Burma’s armed forces.
Those plans included raising troop strength in the army to some 400,000 active duty soldiers. Recent reports suggest that the generals have achieved that mark, but with one important drawback. Most have little, if any, combat experience, and morale within all branches of the military has plummeted.
American scholar Mary P Callaham suggests in her book Making Enemies, War and State-Building in Burma that the country’s military may not be as effective a fighting force as it was once believed to be. “Officers as high-ranking as majors and in some cases lieutenant colonels today probably have less experience fighting wars than trying to build roads.”
Recent steps have also been taken to bolster Burma’s air and naval forces. The presence of US warships off the coast of Burma in 1988 pointed up the fact that the country had little capability to defend its coasts against military aggressors, let alone illegal fishing vessels from neighboring countries. Efforts have been taken in recent years to improve coastal surveillance and signal intelligence capabilities. Some western defense sources suggest that Burmese leaders have been eager to install radar systems to warn against seaborne attacks. In 2003, Burma considered purchasing two mini-submarines from North Korea, but the plan was subsequently scrapped. Burma has also consulted with China on technical and strategic matters related to the navy.
Most recently, Burma has turned to India for acquiring warships and training in ship-building. In January 2006, Indian Vice Admiral Arun Pradesh met top junta leaders, including Than Shwe, reportedly to discuss upgrading Burma’s navy using Indian technology.
Burma has also attempted to improve the country’s air force. In the last two decades, the junta has purchased jet fighters from China and negotiated with India for other aircraft. Burma’s military acquired 12 MiG-29 jet fighters from Russia in 2001, and analysts believe that the junta is negotiating for medium to long-range air-to-surface missiles—useful for ongoing counterinsurgency campaigns, but also an obvious attempt to upgrade its air defenses against a better-equipped Royal Thai Air Force that has a fleet of more than 30 substantially more sophisticated American-made F-16 fighters. Thailand, however, has far fewer troops.
Despite significant efforts to improve all branches of Burma’s armed forces, the Tatmadaw will require many years to fully update troop strength, infrastructure, maintenance and repair, and equipment of its forces.
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