gnplummer421 said:
Wouldn't surprise me, I thought so far the Yugoslavs and Chinese were supplying Burma. I did read somewhere that they have around 170.00 troops and are buying up patrol frigates and other arms....wonder why they need to build up like that....any experts on the area out there?
Gnplummer
Burma's (Myanamar) navy operates a World War II minesweeper as their primary patrol boat, plus some Chinese made 'Houxin' class large missile boats that were delivered in 1996/1997, and some 'Hainan' class patrol boats made in the 1960's but transfered in 1991. A good number of the units of their navy are from Yugoslavia and China, according to Jane's. The army has taken delivery of some around 80 Type 69 tanks (Chinese updated copies of the Type 59, which is a copy of the Soviet T-54/55), over a hundred Type 63 amphibious light tanks (a updated copy of the old Soviet PT-76 amphibious tank), and well over 200 Type 85 APC's. Almost their entire airforce was made in China, including the F-7 fighter-intercepter (a Chinese copy of the MiG-21 Fishbed), the A-5 Fantan ground attack jet (developed from the MiG-19), and the Y-8 turboprop airlifter (the Chinese copy of the Antonov An-12 Cub). From all of this, I would definetely say they are in bed with the Chinese.
Why? It is complex. The country is a military dictatorship, one that is somewhat unstable, and the country is also ethically diverse, and that diversity has lead to ethic uprisings in the past. They are definetely fighting sporadically with Thailand on the Burma/Thailand border, as there is a border dispute there, and Thailand has a pretty decent military, and on top of that, Thailand is a pretty decent ally with the Americans.
Edit: In short, what I am saying is that if I had a list of nations that could implode into civil war again within 20-30 years, or go to war with its neighbours, Burma will definetely be on that list.