By: Centre for Ah Nyar Studies

24 April 2025

The resistance groups fighting against the military (Tatmadaw) – Pokokku People’s Defence Force and Burma Revolution Rangers have released a short video clip stating that they captured a motorised paraglider that had flown from the LID 101 base in Pokokku. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Burma Revolution Rangers claimed that the machine – equipped with drop-bombs fixed to its extended structure – was captured at approximately 5:30 pm local time yesterday (23 April 2025).

Bombs are placed in the extended structure 

The paraglider is a two-seater with an extended structure positioned between the seats, which allows it to carry four bombs on each side making the total capacity of eight bombs per machine. It is designed as an open-frame aircraft with three wheels – one at the front and two at the rear. A small engine is fixed just behind the rear seat, beneath the paraglider wing.

The engine is attached to the back seat

The machine is also fitted with two small light bulbs located overhead between the two pilots, which are powered either by a battery or by the engine at the rear. Wires are wrapped around the iron structure, connecting to the power supply at the back. This suggests that the design may be an adapted model intended for night-time attacks on villages.

Light bulbs are fitted overhead between the two pilots

Investigations by Centre for Ah Nyar Studies into motorised paraglider attacks in central Burma has indicated that these incidents mostly occur at midnight, early morning, or late evening – times when natural light is absent. This pattern appears to reflect a deliberate strategy by the military (Tatmadaw) to reduce the visibility of the machine flying over the villages in a flat terrain like central Burma and minimise the risk of being shot down or missing intended targets.

In their statement, the group noted that the soldier operating the paraglider was not captured, as the operation had to be carried out within a limited time frame. It became the first motorised paraglider to be captured intact and made public in central Burma.

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