Burma National Army. What's really going on in Myanmar Myanmar National Defense Army
The significant increase in defense spending in Myanmar, as well as the democratization of power structures that has begun, make this country one of the most promising arms markets in the Southeast Asia region.
According to Janes Defense Weekly, the Myanmar government has allocated a total of FY13-14 for defense purposes. 20.8% of the national budget, or about $ 2 billion. The draft defense budget, proposed by the government on February 19, will enter into force on April 1. Experts estimate that the share of military spending has been reduced compared to FY12-13.
However, military spending from the state budget does not include funds received from the activities of military enterprises, which are distributed in accordance with the law on special funds. The Special Funds Act was passed in March 2011 and allows the Armed Forces to use additional funds without parliamentary oversight.
The financing of the Armed Forces from special funds is likely to increase also due to the receipt of funds from the development of mineral deposits, primarily natural gas. Due to the growth of foreign investments in gas industry The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts an increase in Myanmar's gross domestic product from $ 59 billion in 2013 to $ 77 billion in 2017 with an annual growth rate of about 7% (several large gas fields are being developed in Myanmar).
Myanmar has long been ruled by a military junta. In November 2010, parliamentary elections were held in the country, which elected the first president on February 4, 2011. He was the former prime minister of the country, retired general Thein Sein - the chairman of the ruling Party of Union Solidarity and Development (PSSR).
Now the government and the Ministry of Defense of Myanmar are faced with the need to radically modernize the army, air force and navy to ensure the proper defense capability of the country. In this regard, Myanmar can be considered in the future as a major customer different types weapons, since the country's Armed Forces are completely dependent on foreign states in terms of the supply of weapons and military equipment.
At the moment, in the arms market of Myanmar, two countries occupy a dominant position - China and Russia. The second division of major suppliers to the Myanmar arms market includes the DPRK, Serbia and Ukraine.
Since 1991, the European Union has imposed an embargo on the supply of arms, ammunition and the training of Myanmar's military personnel. In 1993, the United States imposed an arms embargo on Myanmar. In June 2010, the US Congress once again extended the ban on arms exports to Myanmar.
In connection with the holding of general elections to parliament and the election of the first president of the country, it is quite possible that western countries will reconsider their decision regarding the arms embargo to Myanmar, that is, it can be predicted that a tough competition will unfold in this market and it is far from the fact that China and Russia will retain their dominant positions in the future. The largest programs Myanmar implements in the field of procurement of aircraft (with Russia and China) and naval topics (with China).
The Myanmar Air Force is currently carrying out parallel purchases of 20 Russian MiG-29B / SE / UB fighters (about $ 570 million) and 50 (according to other sources, 60 units) of Chinese TC / UBS K-8 "Karakorum" (about $ 700 million) ... These are the two largest cost programs at the moment. Both contracts were signed at the end of 2009.
In the summer of 2010, the practical implementation of the contract for the supply of the Myanmar Air Force UBS K-8 "Karakorum", which can be equipped with a 23-mm cannon, bombs, guided and unguided missiles, began. At the end of December 2009, Myanmar signed a contract with Russia worth $ 570 million for the supply of 20 MiG-29 fighters (10 MiG-29B, 6 MiG-29SE, 4 combat training MiG-29UB). According to reports, in March 2011, the first three MiG-29s were transferred to Myanmar, and the entire contract was planned to be completed by the end of 2012.
To ensure transport operations, the Myanmar Air Force ordered two An-148-100 aircraft from the Russian Federation. The first of them crashed in early March 2011 in the Belgorod region during a flight as part of the flight test program. Subsequently, Myanmar canceled this contract.
According to available data, in 2011 Russia also completed deliveries under two contracts for helicopter technology (10 Mi-24 helicopters from the RF Armed Forces, as well as 12 Mi-2s from the RF Armed Forces).
However, the Myanmar Air Force fleet is so outdated that these supplies do not meet the needs of the Myanmar Air Force. In this regard, in the future, additional purchases of both fighters and helicopters of various types are possible. Currently, the Myanmar Air Force has 58 fighters, including 48 F-7M (MiG-21F), supplied by China in the period from 1991 to 2002, as well as 10 MiG-29S, supplied by Russia in 2002-2003. In 1997-1998 China has supplied 22 A-5C fighter-bombers to Myanmar.
The newest acquisitions in the UTS / UBS segment (about 70-80 vehicles in total) are 12 K-8 Karakorum (China, 1999), 10 FT-7 (China, 1990-1998) and 2 MiG- 29UB (Russia, 2002-2003).
At the moment, the staff of the Myanmar Air Force is 15 thousand people. The main tasks of the Air Force are to protect the country's airspace, support the branches of the armed forces in the course of joint hostilities, the transfer of personnel and cargo, as well as conduct, independently or in cooperation with ground units, special measures to counter anti-government uprisings.
Organizationally, the Myanmar Air Force consists of four operational aviation commands: Northern (Myitkyina), Central (Mandalay), Southern (Yangon), Coastal (Patain Basin) and one training command (Meikhtila). The Air Force includes 16 aviation squadrons (two fighter-bomber, three fighter, two combat training, two reconnaissance, three transport, four helicopter). As the aircraft is purchased, the number of subdivisions will be increased.
Air Force modernization plans provide for further renewal of the aircraft fleet. It should be noted that the Myanmar Air Force for several recent years implemented a program to modernize the airfield infrastructure. Currently, the Myanmar Air Force has 10 air bases at its disposal.
Since 1988, the number of the Armed Forces of Myanmar has doubled and currently stands at 406 thousand people.
To support
The proclamation of the state sovereignty of Burma (now Myanmar) led to the growth of serious contradictions within the Anti-Fascist League of People's Freedom that came to power. The aggravation of relations between representatives of the socialist and communist wings of the ALNS was a civil war between government troops and the armed formations of the Communist Party of Burma, or rather its two factions - the "Red Flag" operating in the state of Arakan, and the "White Flag" operating in the north and east of the country ... But if the civil war initiated by the communists began to decline after the liberalization of China's political course, then the separatism of national minorities turned out to be a much more serious problem for the country.
Myanmar is a multinational state. About half of the population are Burmese (Myanmans) - the Buddhist people who stood at the origins of the country's statehood. The rest of the population is represented by numerous peoples belonging to the Mongoloid race and speaking the Tibeto-Burmese, Thai, Mon-Khmer languages.
During British colonial rule, the British managed to play on the contradictions between the Burmese as the main and state-forming people of the country, and the numerous national minorities, which were opposed to the Burmese precisely in order to turn them into a support of the colonial regime. Naturally, the proclamation of Burma's sovereignty was perceived by national minorities as a chance for their own national independence. Moreover, separatist sentiments were actively fueled by the British, who promised independence to several Burmese states before the colonial administration left.
One of the centers of resistance to the central government arose in the South-East of Burma, on the territory of the state of Karen. The main population of this territory is the Karen - people, or rather, a conglomerate of nationalities and tribes belonging to the Karen branch of the Tibeto-Burmese language family... In modern Myanmar, the Karen population numbers up to 7 million people, and only about half a million Karen live in neighboring Thailand. In the famous film "Rambo - 4", which takes place on the territory of Burma, main character assists precisely the Karen, who are represented by the national minority oppressed by the central authorities.
Since ancient times, the southern Karen have been influenced by the cultural influences of the neighboring Monks. The Monas - now one of the most peaceful peoples of Burma - lived on the territory of the country long before the Burmese proper settled it. It was the Monas, the relatives of the Khmers, who created the first states in Lower Burma. Naturally, the subsequent expansion of the Burmese from the north and the defeat of the Mon kingdoms, accompanied by the cutting out of the most passionate part of the Monks, contributed not only to the pacification of the Mon lands, but also the flight of a part of the Monks to the neighboring Karen lands. Since then, the feudal elite of the Karen were subjected to Mon influence, absorbing, among other things, hatred of the central Burmese government.
The British colonial administration, following the principle of "divide and conquer", saw reliable helpers in the southern Karen influenced by the Monk influence. The Karen leaders themselves, who were eager to take historical revenge from the Burmese, were also glad to cooperate with the colonialists. In addition, unlike the Burmese - staunch followers of Hinayana Buddhism ("little chariot"), the Karens willingly Christianized, accepting the faith of British missionaries. Today, up to 25% of Karen, mainly in the Ayeyarwaddy Delta, identify themselves as Christians - Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Catholics. At the same time, they fancifully combine Christianity with the preservation of traditional tribal beliefs.
Christians - Karen were positively perceived by the British colonialists and had advantages in entering the military and civilian service. During the Japanese occupation of Burma, the Karen actively resisted the new authorities, acting under the leadership of the British. It was at this time that the beginning of the armed confrontation between the pro-Japanese Army of Burma's Independence, from which the entire post-war Burmese elite, and the Karen formations later grew. In retaliation for the participation of the Karen in the war on the side of the British, the Japanese and their allies (until 1944) Burmese destroyed the Karen villages, killed the civilian population, which also could not but affect the relationship between the two peoples.
Despite the fact that the British colonial administration promised to resolve the issue of Karen statehood after the war, in reality no steps were taken towards this. Moreover, tensions in relations between the leadership of the Burmese socialists and the Karen leaders were growing. At the time of independence, Burma's armed forces had many Karen soldiers, former British soldiers. For obvious reasons, the authorities tried to get rid of the Karen component in the army. Thus, General Dan Smith, a Karen by nationality, who held the post of chief of staff of the Burmese army, was removed and arrested.
To protect their interests, the Karen National Union was created by the Karen. General Bo Mya (1927-2006), a Baptist by faith, who was led by it, began his political career by participating in the anti-Japanese resistance on the side of the British. Despite his young years, he managed to quickly take leading positions in the Karen national movement. After the Karen National Union proclaimed the independence of the Karen state from Burma in 1949, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) was created under the direct leadership of Bo Me, which for half a century remained the most serious actor in the Burmese civil war... The purpose of these structures was the creation of an independent state of Kotholei ("Conquered Land") on the territory of the state of Karen and other areas of compact settlement of Karen ethnic groups.
At first, the Karen rebels managed to attack the Burmese positions so seriously that the world community doubted the very prospect of Burma's existence as a single unitary state. In particular, in 1949 the Karen besieged the Burmese capital of Yangon (Rangoon), not to mention full control over the territory of the state of Karen.
The seriousness of the intentions of the Karen National Union regarding the creation of their own national state was also confirmed by the fact that the Karen fought against drug trafficking and the cultivation of drug cultures. For Burma and Indochina in general, this was on the verge of nonsense - the fact is that almost all armed groups that participated in civil wars in the region of the famous "golden triangle" (the junction of the borders of Burma, Thailand and Laos) drew a significant part of their budgets precisely from drug trafficking. Even the communist groups did not disdain to control the opium poppy plantations.
The Karen National Union not only led fighting against the Burmese government with the hands of his armed wing - the national liberation army, but also sought to develop infrastructure in the controlled territories. To the best of their ability, new schools and medical institutions were created, trade between settlements was streamlined. The efforts of the Burmese army to neutralize the Karen formations were complicated by the fact that the latter retreated into the mountains, which the central government had no control over. As a result, the Burmese took their revenge on the peaceful population of the Karen villages, which supported their rebels and was the last resource and human base. Over the years of confrontation, more than a million people have fled their villages and became refugees in neighboring Thailand.
The desire of the Karen to secede from Burma grew the stronger, the more severely the government troops acted against the civilian population of the state of Karen. The destruction of civilians, repression against adherents of the Christian religion, the use of prohibited mines - all this was present in abundance in the war between the Burmese government and the Karen National Union.
As is the case in such conflicts, other states also relied on the Karen - first of all, the USA and Great Britain, which patronized the Karen movement as natural way weakening of the central Burmese government. Neighboring Thailand also provided significant assistance to the Karen national resistance. There was a long-standing military and political rivalry between Thailand and Burma, going back centuries, when the Burmese even managed to defeat the Thai kingdom for some time and occupy its capital. Naturally, the Karens in this situation were viewed by the Thai leadership as an excellent tool for weakening their age-old rival, all the more flirting with socialist ideology.
The twenty-thousand-strong Karen army, which controlled the southeastern territories of Burma, received comprehensive assistance from Thailand, including weapons. On the territory of Thailand, there were military camps of the Karen rebels. Through a protracted civil war, Thailand has seriously neutralized Burma as a rival in the region, but nothing can last forever. After the Cold War began to decline, Thailand also significantly reduced support for the Karen separatists. Burma, renamed Myanmar, normalized relations with its closest neighbor and the royal government had no choice but to gradually oust the Karen formations from its territory.
By the 1990s. the split of the Karen national movement on religious grounds also applies - the Buddhists accused the dominant Christians of discrimination and encroachment on their interests and formed their own Democratic Karen Buddhist army, which quickly turned out to be on the side of their fellow believers - the central Burmese government. At the same time, more radical and exotic splinters from the Karen National Union - the Karen National Liberation Army - appeared.
One of them was the Army of God, which became famous all over the world for childhood and adolescence not only of most of its militants (a common thing in Indochina - both among the Khmer Rouge and among other rebel groups, children and adolescents have always met in abundance), but also leaders ... Brothers John and Luther Htu, who took over the ranks of colonels, began commanding the Army of God at the age of twelve, which was too young even by local standards. The army of young brothers came to the center of attention of the world community in January 2000, when ten of its militants seized a hospital in the Thai town of Ratchaburi. The “soldiers of God” took hostage 700, and then (after partial release) 200 employees and patients of the hospital. However, the training of Thai special forces turned out to be a more serious matter than belief in charismatic brothers - the terrorists were destroyed as a result of a special operation. A year later, already in Myanmar, the Khtu brothers themselves were captured.
It is noteworthy that the more moderate and numerous wing of the Karen resistance, consolidated around the Karen National Liberation Army, assessed the intransigence of the Khtu brothers negatively - even the veterans of the Karen movement who have fought in the jungle for decades do not leave hopes for a peaceful outcome of the struggle for independence.
However, the armed resistance of the Karen rebels continues with some intensity at the present time. In 2012, a truce was concluded between the central leadership of Myanmar - Burma and the Karen National Union, but not all Karen armed groups, as is the case during the civil war, agreed with the "opportunistic" line of their leadership. Therefore, the territory of the state of Karen and the border regions of Thailand are still considered one of the troubled areas of the region.
The conclusion from the above review of the Karen armed resistance can be drawn as follows. While the activity of the Karen national movement corresponded to the interests of neighboring Thailand, the British and Americans looming behind the back of the Bangkok government, it was viewed as a national liberation movement, worthy not only of sympathy and assurances of moral support, but also quite tangible material and military assistance.
Changes in the political situation in the world and the region showed that the Karen were only pawns in the game of the larger actors of world and regional politics, but when the time of their use as a tool came to an end, they were left to their own devices. And now the prospects for the independent or autonomous existence of the territories inhabited by the Karen depend exclusively on them. The Americans and the British acted much more vile with those national movements of Burma that were involved in the production and trade of drugs. About the "Opium Wars" in the "Golden Triangle" - in the next article.
National Army of Burma · Related Articles & middot National Army of Burma video
Burma National Army was created by the Japanese authorities at the end of 1941 - under the name Burma Independence Army... Until March 27, 1945, she fought on the side of Japan against Britain, after she declared war on Japan.
The Burma Independence Army was created on December 28, 1941 in the Thai capital of Bangkok, by Colonel of the Japanese General Staff Suzuki, who recruited Burmese leftist activist, Burmese Communist Party General Secretary Aung San and the so-called "30 comrades" (Burmese communists and left-wing nationalists). Initially, the NSA had 227 Burmese and 74 Japanese (command personnel). Aung San was given the rank of Major General by the Japanese. Several units (reconnaissance, sabotage, foraging) were created to participate in the Japanese invasion of Burma.
When Japanese troops invaded Burma, many Burmese began to join the NSA. By the time the Japanese took Rangoon on March 8, 1942, Burma's Independence Army numbered 12,000. NSA fighters quickly destroyed members of Burma's national minorities, killed and robbed people of Indian origin.
On August 1, 1943, Japan granted independence to Burma. Aung San became Minister of Defense and Commander of the Burma National Army (renamed NSA). This army consisted of 8 infantry battalions, 2 air defense battalions, 2 engineering battalions, and several auxiliary units.
Burma and Kachin
In northern Burma, Myanmar, the conflict between the Kachin rebels, which has been going on for a year and a half, has sharply escalated ...
2:42 minutes
The Karen National Liberation Army, a branch of the Karen National Union, is fighting for the creation of an independent state of Kotholei (Kawthoolei, "Green Country", another translation is "Conquered Land") in the Burmese state of Karen and other areas of Burma with a large number of the Karen population.
The Civil War in Burma, which began in 1947, as a conflict between the Karen and Burmese, continues to this day. The war is waged both for national liberation and for the control and sale of opium products.
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1. Tensions between Burmese and Karen have long roots. Even during World War II, the Burma Independence Army (BIA), which supported the Japanese army, distinguished itself with such brutality in the fight against the British Karen accomplices that the Japanese commander of the BIA, Colonel Suzuki Keiji, had to intervene.
Photo: A sniper of the 101st battalion of the PLA army in a position on the front line controlled by the PLA near the Thai-Burmese border.
2. During the declaration of Burma's independence from the British in 1948, significant tensions arose between the Karen and the new authorities of the country, as well as within the Karen community.
Photo: Soldiers from the rebel armies DBAC and PLA prepare for battle in a rebel camp near the Thai-Burmese border.
3. Some Karen strove for independence, promised to them by the British for their help in repelling Japanese aggression, while others tried to coexist within the borders of Burma.
Photo: Rebels from the 5th Brigade of the Karen Democratic Buddhist Army (DBAK) inside a truck at a militant camp near the Thai-Burmese border.
5. In early 1949, units of the socialist political militia, formed by the central government, began to suppress unrest in the areas where the Karen live.
Photo: Mortars used by the rebels.
6. At the same time, the chief of staff of the army, General Dan Smith, a Karen by nationality, was removed from office and imprisoned. The new chief of staff was the Burmese nationalist U Ne Win, who held several command posts in the BIA.
In the photo: Soldiers of the 101st battalion of the KNLA on the front line.
7. Thereafter, the Karen National Defense Organization, established in July 1947, raised an uprising, which was joined by many Karen serving in the army. This is how the civil war began, which has not ended until now.
Photo: Teenage soldiers of the 101st KNLA Battalion at their post on the front line near the Thai-Burmese border.
8. At the beginning of hostilities, the Karen troops managed to invade Northern Burma and even gain a foothold in Insein, 9 km from Rangoon.
9. After a 112-day siege at the end of May, the Karen were forced to retreat from the capital of Burma.
Photo: This KNLA rebel lost his leg after being blown up by a mine while on patrol in the jungle.
10. In the photo: A soldier from the Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF) army blinded after a land mine explosion in the jungle.
11. KNLA was the largest group fighting against the military dictatorship in Burma. In the 1970s and 1980s, the KNLA numbered more than 20 thousand fighters.
Photo: Special battalion guerrillas from KNLA headquarters patrol villages located within the rebel-held territory of southern Burma.
12. In the 90s, the power of the Karen armed forces was undermined by several heavy defeats inflicted by the troops of the central government of Burma. The situation was compounded by a conflict within the KNLA, due to which in 1994-95 the Buddhist minority formed a group called the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and went over to the side of the military junta.
In the photo: A partisan from the headquarters of the Karen National Liberation Army demonstrates his weapon. He is the head of one of the organizations that provide weapons to the rebels.
13. It is believed that it was the split that led to the fall of the KNS headquarters in Maneplo in January 1995. In addition, the position of the authorities of neighboring Thailand, which has ceased to provide support to the KNU and KNLA, has also changed.
In the photo: from the 101st battalion of the Karen National Liberation Army at his post on the front line near the Thai-Burmese border.
14. The popularity of partisans also declined among the Karen, who were tired of years of war. As a result, by 2006, the number of KNLA was reduced to less than 4,000 fighters.
15. The Karen National Liberation Army has repeatedly been accused of recruiting minors.
Photo: Children belonging to the Karen ethnic minority play in a bamboo hut, while soldiers of the special battalion of the PLA guerrilla army relax.
16. The events of the civil war in Burma are reflected in the feature film Rambo 4, which, although not a serious and reliable source, gives an idea of the state of affairs in a country where the war has been going on since 1947.
In the photo: A fighter of the partisan special battalion gets a tattoo at the headquarters of the Karen National Liberation Army.
Russian-Myanmar relations are more than one and a half centuries old. Interaction in the military sphere has always been of key importance in these ties. For example, when the Russians Pashuto and Khludov returned home after traveling to these lands in 1876, they delivered a letter from the local ruler with an offer of friendship and a request to train specialists in Russia. Among those who expressed approval of such cooperation was none other than Minister of War Dmitry Milyutin. Today, military-technical cooperation remains the most "advanced" segment in relations between the two countries. In 2016, an agreement was signed between the defense ministries. The military exchange delegations, resolve issues of countering terrorist threats, Russian military equipment is supplied to Myanmar, and the procedure for entry of warships has been simplified. The recent (in January of this year) visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to this country gave impetus to constructive dialogue. In the new issue of the Military Acceptance program on Zvezda TV, journalist Alexei Yegorov will talk about some aspects of our interaction with the Myanmar military. Viewers of the program will learn about what the armed forces of this country are, what successes they are proud of and what exoticism is inherent in the army of Myanmar - a country so far from Russia, but so close in spirit and military history. The Science of Winning: the Myanmar Variant At the Myanmar Military Academy, graduates receive three diplomas at once: in computer technology, in the humanities (history, foreign languages) and by specialization, which is chosen by the students themselves. It is probably no coincidence that the competition here is one of the highest in the country. As the rector of the Academy Town Htay Shwe emphasizes, military education is both discipline, and physical training, and familiarity with technology, and, of course, education. “Our cadet goes all the way - from private to officer,” says the rector. - In the first year, he comprehends the basics of military service, in the second year he is taught to be a squad leader. On the third, he goes to the level of the senior sergeant of the platoon. And in the last, fourth year he already commands a platoon. ”It is noteworthy that almost half of the teaching staff of this university speaks Russian. The fact is that many officers of the Myanmar army at one time were trained in military educational institutions of the USSR and Russia. By the way, Russian is taught in this academy. Its graduates can then go to get education in our country. But only the best of them: that's the way it is. In Myanmar, Russian education is valued above Western European education. “Russia is our friend, the only country that understands us, always helps,” says the academy teacher Captain Ian Pine Hein. “We are like a family, like brothers.” Much attention is paid during the training period to drill, physical training. The cadets learn to masterfully perform techniques with weapons, several times a week they are engaged with special shells - bats that allow them to develop the muscles of the arms. Their own type of hand-to-hand combat is also cultivated - Myanmar Thai. This martial art is more than one hundred years old, it appeared in antiquity, during the time of the emperors. In the academy, such classes help to master the skill of defense and attack without weapons. By the way, all sports activities here take place on the street, since the weather conditions allow it: it is almost always summer in this country. In the Myanmar army there is a cult of a healthy body: it is largely supported by the ban on service for overweight people. Special requirements are for special forces. By the way, he is regularly recruited to perform special tasks, learns to land from a helicopter into the jungle, and is able to withstand any whims of the weather. military equipment in the army of Myanmar in special honor. And for a long time. Unpretentious, easy to operate, suitable for maintenance in field conditions... For example, our MiG-29 and Yak-130 combat vehicles have firmly established themselves in the country's Air Force. The machines of Yakovlev Design Bureau are so well adapted to use in hot climates that they even have a built-in cooling system during braking: air is supplied to the braking devices, which reduces the risk of overheating during takeoff and landing. Moe Htet, deputy chief of the aviation engineering service of one of the squadrons of the Myanmar Air Force, calls the Yak-130 very simple in terms of maintenance compared to aircraft of other brands. There is also a high opinion of the MiG-29 here. By the way, Russia not only offered Myanmar the combat vehicles themselves, but also built a service center here, where our specialists are regularly delegated for work. 
With local flavor and exoticism Of course, much in this country and in its army, let's say, is not entirely familiar to our perception. For example, the Myanmar military has legalized the dispensing of alcohol. True, this is a forced measure - they are fighting malaria with drinks with a degree. The product is called “Army rum”: bottles of 0.65 milliliters and 43-degree strength are delivered to each military unit. Military personnel are entitled to 50 grams, which are poured three times a day. Rum, according to the Myanmar army command, also helps to overcome the cold when military operations are carried out in the mountains, where temperatures can drop to freezing. For those who are not accustomed to the cold, the inhabitants of this southern country such conditions are akin to extreme. They also produce beer for the military in Myanmar. The supply of the drink to the military units allows replenishing the country's budget, and gives the opportunity to find a job for the former military. And, of course, the religious aspect is always taken into account in the local military environment. Although formally Myanmar is considered a multi-confessional country, the majority of the population (89%) are Buddhists. Before flying, the pilots turn to Buddha, take amulets with them into the sky. There are also pagodas everywhere. One of them, the 98-meter gilded Shwedagon Pagoda, located in Yangon, is considered by the locals to be the oldest in the world. One of the corners here is called the Corner of Victories: here the founder of independent Myanmar, leader of the liberation movement and national hero of the country, General Aung San prayed. Even now, military leaders come to this pagoda to pray, however, at separate hours, so that there are no prying eyes and ears. People come here before an important combat mission, before speaking in parliament, on the eve of making landmark decisions. 
And the Myanmar military take perfume very seriously (the emphasis, of course, on the first syllable). Even the top officials of the state consider it important for themselves to take this factor into account. In general, as foreigners who have lived in Myanmar for more than one year say, the peculiarity of the country is that, along with belief in knowledge, there is belief in phenomena. For example, numerology. At one time, banknotes of 45 and 90 kyats (local currency) were in circulation here. It turns out that General Wu Ne Win, who ruled the country from 1962 to 1988, had great respect for the number 9. He was even predicted to have a life of at least 90 years. Surprisingly, this is how it happened: the general died at the age of 91. An army of victors For many members of the Myanmar army, perhaps the greatest reward for their military work is the right to participate in the parade. This solemn event is held in March in the capital of Myanmar, Naypyidaw, and is associated with the creation of the republic's armed forces. By the way, this year, for the first time, foreign journalists were granted the right to cover the parade, who turned out to be ... just employees of the Zvezda TV channel, the film crew of the Military Acceptance program! It is worth noting that the history of parades has been going on here since March 1945, when an uprising against the Japanese, who were then allied with Hitler, broke out in the country. So in that war we had a common enemy, and this makes us, the Russians, and the Myanmans in the best possible way related. In general, Myanmar is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia that has never yielded to the West, has not sagged under sanctions. For that, she is also worth respecting. The military parade is one of the most exciting and important events in the life of the army, in the life of the country. What can I say, if during the passage of the ceremonial boxes to the place of the solemn march, women are allowed to climb into the ranks and put on a necklace made of jasmine flowers for servicemen: this flower is considered here a symbol of victory. So, some soldiers go to the place of the ceremony in a somewhat unregulated form, but this does not cause the anger of the commanders ... 
Russia intends to continue to maintain military and military-technical cooperation with Myanmar. This was confirmed by the recent visit of Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu here - the second during his tenure as head of the Russian military department (the first took place in 2013). During the talks with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Myanmar, Senior General Min Aung Hline, the positive dynamics of interaction in the military field was noted. Today, as the Ministry of Defense of Russia emphasizes, both countries are implementing a large-scale plan of bilateral military cooperation, according to which the armed forces of the republic are equipped with Russian weapons systems, the combat readiness of the army is maintained. Russian MiG-29 fighters, dozens of Mi-24 and Mi helicopters are successfully operated as part of the national air force. -17. The country's air defense system is represented by Russian radar and anti-aircraft missile systems. In addition, Russian military universities train military personnel for the Myanmar army, and regular contacts are maintained at the level of the military leadership of the two countries.
