Post-independence era (1948–1990) The Myanmar Air Force (MAF) was formed as the
Burmese Air Force on 16 January 1947, while
Burma (as
Myanmar was known until 1989) was still under
British rule. By 1948, the fleet of the new air force included 40
Airspeed Oxfords, 16
de Havilland Tiger Moths, four
Austers, and three
Supermarine Spitfires transferred from the
Royal Air Force, and had a few hundred personnel. On 17 February, a team from Burmese 9th Front Brigade left for the crash site. A 12.7mm bullet was fired into the fuselage of UB-466, hitting pilot officer Peter as well, breaking five of his ribs. Peter was recorded in the history of Burmese Air Force as an airman who gave his life for the country and the people. In 1962, a new radar station in Mingaladon and a mobile radar station in Lwemwe (near Tachileik) were put into operation. By December 1964, the Burmese Air Force had 323 officers and 5,677 other ranks and it acquired
Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star jet trainers and a new radar station, which could operate within a 120-mile (193-km) radius, was opened in
Namsang. In 1966, the radar arm of the air force underwent a complete overhaul and upgrade, with new radar stations being operated. The Namsang Radar station was upgraded to cover about a 200-mile (322-km) radius and renamed No.71 Squadron. In the same year, the Burmese Air Force formed the No. 1
Airborne Battalion with 26 officers and 750 other ranks. On 1 January 1967, the Burmese Air Force reorganised its command structure. No. 501 Squadron Group in
Hmawbi became No. 501 Air Base HQ; No. 502 Squadron Group in Mingalardon became No. 502 Air Base HQ; and No. 503 Squadron Group in
Meiktila became No. 503 Air Base HQ in Meiktila. It also maintained airfield detachments in
Lashio and
Kengtung to cope with the insurgency of
Communist Party of Burma in the northeast border region of the country.
Rafael Python Mk. III and even
Litening laser-designator pods. The same equipment was then installed on the two-seater FT-7 fighter trainers as well. In a related deal, Israel transferred at least one consignment of laser-guided bombs, but no deliveries of any other weapons are known. Since the
Elbit contract was won in 1997, the air force had acquired at least one more squadron of F-7 and FT-7 aircraft from China, but these were not upgraded. Between 1992 and 2000, the Myanmar Air Force took delivery of 36
A-5C ground attack aircraft. In addition, the Myanmar Air Force also bought 20
Soko G-4 Super Galeb armed jet trainers from
Yugoslavia in 1991, but only approximately 6 aircraft were delivered due to the breakup of Yugoslavia. and Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, pass in front of the MAF Honour Guards during an arrival ceremony at the
Presidential Palace, Naypyidaw in 2017. The Myanmar Air Force procured a range of helicopters from
Russia and
Poland between 1991 and 1997; it bought 20 PZL-Swidnik
Mil Mi-2 and 13
PZL W-3 Sokol helicopters from Poland and 13
Mil Mi-17 from
Russia. These helicopters were put into counter-insurgency operations against ethnic rebels in the
Irrawaddy River delta. Four
Mil Mi-2, four
PZL W-3 Sokol, and two
Bell 205 helicopters were grouped as an air detachment stationed in
Bogalay for "Operation Monediang" in October 1991. During this operation, Mil Mi-2 helicopters were fitted with a wide range of weapons to provide ground attack and air cover for heliborne
air assault operations. Four Mi-2s of the air detachment made a total of 80 sorties over 17 targets with nearly 82 flying hours. Four PZL W-3 Sokol helicopters, unarmed and used for troop transport carrying 20 airborne commandos, each flew 443 missions with 197 flying hours.
Bell 205 helicopters carried out
search and rescue, and they flew 263 missions with over 114 flying hours. The air force also ordered 10
Mil Mi-35 gunship helicopters as part of a $71 million defence package signed in December 2009. Despite these modernisation measures, the capability of the Myanmar Air Force remained questionable, due to its absence during the
Battle of Border Post 9631 with
Thailand and the rescue missions related to
Cyclone Nargis in May 2008. A contract had been signed in December 2015 with
Pakistan for the purchase of
JF-17 Thunder multirole fighter, which was jointly developed by
Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group and
Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, to Myanmar Air Force. However, in March 2018 it was reported that the deal for the purchase of JF-17 Thunder has been suspended by Pakistan. However, four JF-17 Block-IIs were seen at Air Force Day celebrated in December 2018. Under a bilateral contract, the MAF ordered six
Su-30SM fighters from
Russia in 2018. Six
HAL HJT-16 Kiran trainers were delivered as a gift from
ex-Indian Airforce stocks partly to counter Chinese clout and partly as reciprocity for co-operation from the
Tatmadaw in Indian Operation against
Naga insurgents. Since the
military coup in February 2021, Myanmar Air Force aircraft have been used in airstrikes on villages, killing noncombatant civilians including elders, humanitarian workers and children while forcing thousands of others to flee their homes. On 11 April 2023, the Myanmar air force conducted a relentless airstrike on Pazigyi village in Kantbalu Township, Sagaing Region, killing at least 100 people, including children. This was the junta's deadliest airstrike after the coup. The attack targeted an opening ceremony of a local administration office. The junta spokesperson reasoned that high casualties were due to the secondary explosion of munitions stored in the area. However, ground sources confirmed that most of the casualties are civilians, including children. The airstrike was conducted by a fighter jet and later by a Mi-35 gunship. On the morning of January 7, 2024, the Myanmar Air Force conducted an airstrike on Kanan village, Tamu Township, Sagaing Region, hitting a civilian area, with bombs landing near St Peter Baptist Church and a nearby school compound while residents were gathered for Sunday service. The strike killed at least 17 civilians, including nine children, and injured over 20 people. On 12 May 2025, Myanmar air force carried out an airstrike on Ohe Htein Twin village in
Tabayin Township, Sagaing Region, that struck a school building. According to local resistance members, aid workers, and media reports, the attack killed up to 20 students and two teachers, and wounded dozens of other draftees. The incident occurred in the morning and added to the mounting civilian toll of the conflict in central Myanmar. On 25 August 2025, Myanmar’s air force carried out an airstrike on the Daing Kyi quarter of
Mrauk-U, a historic town in Rakhine State known for its temples and pagodas. The attack killed at least 12 people, including children, according to the Arakan Army (AA), which has controlled the town since January 2024. On 12 September 2025, Myanmar’s air force conducted an airstrike on a private boarding school in Thayat Tabin village,
Kyauktaw Township, Rakhine State. According to local media and residents, two 500-pound bombs struck the Pyinnya Pan Khinn High School and its surroundings at around 1 a.m., killing 22 people, most of them students. Kyauktaw town has been under the control of the Arakan Army since January 2024. On 10 December 2025 at midnight, Myanmar’s air force
bombed the Mrauk-U General Hospital, leaving more than 30 deaths and multiple injuries. On 23 February 2026, a bazaar in Yoe-ngu Village, Ponnagyun Township, was reportedly bombed by Myanmar’s Air Force, leaving 15 people dead and several others injured. ==Commanders in Chief and Chiefs of Air Staff since 1948==