Myanmar – KIA UAV targets Junta Helicopter in Kachin State

On 20 May 2025, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) targeted an Mi-17 helicopter belonging to the military junta with a OWA FPV UAV near the Kachin town of Bhamo.  The UAV reportedly utilised fibre optics, allowing it to bypass any EW that the junta may have deployed. FPV footage circulating on social media shows the UAV approaching the helicopter and then hitting the rotors, before the helicopter flies off. Ultimately, the helicopter crashed in a forest near Shwegu, killing all on board.

Fibre optic UAVs have been widely used in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The proliferation of these drones has introduced new vulnerabilities for aircraft operating in low-altitude combat zones. As the civil war in Myanmar enters its fourth year, the event shows the development of tactics utilised by Burmese resistance groups in an asymmetric conflict.

For more information on this event, please contact EWS.

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