Myanmar Navy Fleet Inventory 🇲🇲

The Myanmar Navy is currently transforming from a coastal-focused force into a navy with growing blue-water capabilities. This strategic shift is primarily driven by the need to secure its extensive Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, which contains significant offshore oil, natural gas deposits, and vital fishing grounds. A past maritime dispute with Bangladesh has also been a catalyst for developing more potent naval capabilities to enforce its maritime claims.

The fleet's composition reflects a clear modernization trend, with a focus on larger, more capable warships. The core of its surface combatant force consists of indigenously built frigates and corvettes. These include the Aung Zeya and Kyan Sittha-class frigates, which are armed with anti-ship missiles. The Kyan Sittha-class also features a helicopter hangar, enhancing its operational flexibility. To bolster its fleet, Myanmar has also acquired second-hand frigates from China. The navy's capabilities were significantly enhanced with the acquisition of a landing platform dock from South Korea, which serves as the flagship and provides considerable troop and vehicle transport capacity. Furthermore, the navy has established a submarine arm with the procurement of a Kilo-class submarine from India and a Ming-class submarine from China, marking a new dimension in its naval power.

Myanmar's domestic shipbuilding program is central to its naval strategy, with a growing capacity to construct its own warships, including frigates and corvettes. While these vessels are locally built, they incorporate foreign designs and are equipped with weapons and systems from various countries, including China, Russia, and North Korea. This indigenous shipbuilding effort allows for a sustained expansion and modernization of the fleet, reducing reliance on foreign acquisitions for major surface combatants.

The operational reach of the Myanmar Navy has been expanding, with a clear ambition to operate more effectively in the wider Indian Ocean region. This is demonstrated by an increasing number of naval exercises, such as the "Sea Shield" exercise, which involved submarines and frigates operating in the Bay of Bengal. The acquisition of larger vessels and a nascent submarine force indicates a strategic intent to develop from a brown-water navy to a more capable three-dimensional force, able to project power and secure national interests far from its shores. This growing capability is making the Myanmar Navy a more significant maritime player in the region.