Myanmar Navy commissions first corvette with reduced RCS
Mrityunjoy Mazumdar, Alameda, California - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
29 December 2016
The Myanmar Navy commissioned its first guided-missile corvette featuring radar cross-section-reducing characteristics (shown in the background) on 24 December. Source: CinCDS/ Myanmar Navy
The Myanmar Navy (MN) commissioned several new vessels on 24 December, including UMS (Union of Myanmar Ship)
Tabinshwehti with pennant number 773: the service's first guided-missile corvette featuring radar cross-section (RCS) reducing characteristics.
Launched in late November 2014, UMS
Tabinshwehti is also the third guided-missile corvette to enter service with the MN. Unlike the two older 77 m guided missile corvettes, UMS
Anawrahta (771) and UMS
Bayintnaung (772), the recently commissioned corvette has a reduced-RCS superstructure with two masts and a helicopter hangar.
Weapons include one Oto Melara 76 mm gun in a stealthy cupola and two Chinese-made NG-18 gun systems for close-in defence. The ship also features a box launcher for six man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS) - presumably from North Korea.
Moreover, two sets of five-barrelled Chinese-origin RDC anti-submarine rocket launchers are mounted ahead of the main gun and what appear to be two sets of two box launchers for Chinese C-802-series anti-ship missiles are fitted amidships.
The commissioning ceremony, which took place on the MN's 69th anniversary, was attended by the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who noted that Myanmar is now capable of constructing missile corvettes to its own specifications from start to finish. "Building warships on a self-reliant basis saves money and provides benefits to Myanmar," he added.
The MN also displayed
a locally developed unmanned surface vessel (USV) project using what appears to be a rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) from French manufacturer Sillinger fitted with what
appears to be a remotely operated machine gun.
Video footage of the demonstration suggests that the USV is controlled by two operators using a commercial-off-the-shelf-based control system with joystick controls and a line of sight radio control.
Other vessels commissioned on 24 December include a 77 m troop transport ship UMS
Chindwin and six 29 m landing craft mechanised (LCM) vessels capable of carrying two armoured fighting vehicles.
