The junta has been increasingly using drones to support its ground forces during fighting with the Arakan Army (AA) in Sittwe and Kyaukphyu Townships in Arakan (Rakhine) State, where they have caused a lot of damage.

Captain Zin Yaw, a former junta military officer who joined the anti-junta Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) said: “Drones are capable of hitting targets more precisely than artillery and can visually identify targets. The junta now has the capacity to produce drones on a large scale at Defence Industry 10 (locally known as Ka Pa Sa 10) in Meiktila Township, Mandalay Region. That’s why the junta is testing a strategy that combines drones with ground forces in combat operations. In Sittwe and Kyaukphyu, the junta's drone units have caused significant devastation.”

On 6 March, about 10 junta drones dropped bombs on  War Bo Village in Sittwe Township that destroyed 35 houses.

According to data collected by DMG there were also at least five junta drone attacks in Kyaukphyu Township between 6 and 10 March 2025.

On 6 March the junta launched two drone strikes on Oo Kin Village in Kyaukphyu Township that burned down about 100 houses.

On 10 March two rounds of drone strikes hit Kat Tha Pyay Village in Kyaukphyu Township and burned down 20 houses.

Also on 10 March the junta launched a kamikaze drone attack on Sane Cottage Hospital in Kyaukphyu Township, causing significant damage.

In normal drone attacks drone just drop bombs on targets and return to base and are then sent out on more missions. In kamikaze drone attacks a drone with an explosive payload is crashed into a target and the drone is also destroyed.

The junta has been using kamikaze drones in Arakan State since late 2024, according to the AA.

An AA source in Sittwe Township said: “Close combat has become relatively rare in the current fighting, with snipers, artillery, and drones being increasingly used for long-range attacks. The junta has also stepped up its use of drones.”

The junta is increasingly using drones for bombing civilian areas, reconnaissance, and battlefield combat across various parts of the country, according to resistance forces.

In the early days of the revolution following the coup, armed resistance groups began drone warfare by attaching grenades to agricultural drones and dropping them. Today, battles involve the use of fixed-wing drones, kamikaze drones, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of flying for extended periods during reconnaissance missions.

According to analysts and drone experts, in addition to its domestically manufactured drones, the junta is also using Chinese-made Sky-02, CH-3, CH-3A, and CH-4 drones.

The junta also possesses Skylark UAVs, manufactured by Israel's Elbit Systems, which are capable of conducting effective reconnaissance flights at night, according to a Justice for Myanmar statement.

Military analysts have warned that if the junta manages to use drones more effectively it will give it more of an advantage in ground operations.