How paragliding soldiers carrying bombs rain destruction on Myanmar’s villages

What Happened

The Myanmar military junta (State Administration Council/Tatmadaw) has escalated its use of motorised paragliders, known as paramotors, and gyrocopters—small, propeller-driven aircraft—to bomb civilian areas in opposition-held territories. Soldiers pilot these improvised aircraft at night, gliding with engines off to silently drop explosives weighing up to 16 kg on villages, schools, hospitals, and religious sites, often in 'double-tap' attacks that target rescuers arriving after the first blast. According to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (Acled), paramotor attacks surged from 2 incidents in 2024 to 353 in 2025, with over 100 recorded in the first five months of 2026; gyrocopter attacks numbered 69 in 2025 and 74 in the first four months of 2026. Acled has documented at least 321 deaths from these aircraft since 2025. Notable incidents include an October attack on a Buddhist festival at a primary school that killed 24 people, including children, and a January strike on a hospital in Salingyi township that killed the chief doctor and two staff, followed by a bombing of the cemetery where the doctor was to be buried. The junta uses commercially available paramotors to evade international sanctions and because they require minimal training and infrastructure, allowing strikes beyond ground-troop reach.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The adoption of motorised paragliders and gyrocopters signals a significant evolution in the junta's air-war capability, allowing it to circumvent territorial losses and international arms embargoes to inflict indiscriminate harm on civilian populations deep inside opposition-held zones. The tactic's low cost, ease of acquisition, and difficulty of detection exacerbate the humanitarian crisis, particularly given severe aid-access restrictions. It underscores the military's willingness to adapt to strategic stalemate by employing unconventional weapons, raising urgent concerns about civilian protection and accountability under international law.

Watch For

Monitor Acled and other conflict-tracking databases for continued data on attack frequency, geographic spread (42 townships in 2025, expanding to 48 in early 2026), and cumulative casualties. Watch for international scrutiny of commercial supply chains enabling the junta's acquisitions, potential new sanctions, and countermeasures developed by resistance forces. Also note civilian safety advisories, such as the June 1 poster campaign by Mandalay Free Press, and any further expansion of the junta's improvised aerial arsenal.