Investigative organization Conflict Armament Research (CAR) has reported that military forces in Myanmar are using European anti-jamming technology to equip their drones despite EU sanctions.
CAR has identified advanced GNSS navigation modules with built-in anti-jamming features, used to increase drone resilience against electronic countermeasures recovered from downed unmanned aerial vehicles in eastern Myanmar.
The components were integrated into modified quadcopters and hexacopters, which were adapted for combat operations.
CAR found that the equipment was originally sent to a commercial company near the border between China and Myanmar.
Weeks later, the components were diverted to the State Administration Council, the military junta that took control of the country following the 2021 coup.
This occurred despite the company having signed a declaration stating the items would not be used for military purposes.
The case is part of a wider trend CAR has observed, where sanctioned actors continue to get commercial parts to improve or build weapons.
Civil War and Arms Flows
For the past four years, the Asian nation’s multilayered civil war between the ruling junta and opposition groups has drawn international concerns over the flow of foreign weapons to the military despite sanctions.
Last month, UN experts criticized the recent US decision to lift sanctions on individuals and companies providing military support to Myanmar, warning that it could embolden the military junta and its allies.
According to a 2022 UN report, Russia and China continued supplying the Myanmar military junta with fighter jets and armored vehicles.
The report also noted that Serbia authorized exports of rockets and artillery.
