Paramotor bombings: Myanmar's military turns to low-tech paragliders for deadly airstrikes. All you need to know about it

On Monday (October 6) night in the Chang U township of Myanmar’s Sagaing region, nearly 100 people gathered to observe Thadingyut, a festival celebrating the full moon. The event also doubled as a protest against the military, which seized power in 2021, plunging the country into a civil conflict. What started as a peaceful gathering quickly turned into a nightmare when a paramotor— a small, motorised paraglider— appeared overhead, dropping bombs on the crowd. In just seven minutes, at least 26 people were killed, and dozens more were injured.

This bombing was not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing trend. The Myanmar military has increasingly relied on paramotors for airstrikes against resistance groups. These low-tech devices, while seemingly simple, have become a crucial weapon in the junta’s aerial strategy to reassert control over the country.

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What is a Paramotor?

A paramotor consists of a pilot suspended beneath a motorised paraglider, which can carry around 160kg (350lb). This allows the paramotor to transport a paratrooper and multiple small bombs. Typically, paramotors are equipped with GPS and carry 120mm bombs weighing up to 16kg each. The paramotor’s ability to fly low and close to its target makes it an ideal weapon for precision strikes. While its speed is relatively slow (about 65 km/h or 40 mph), it is able to fly under 1,000 feet (300 meters), allowing for a high degree of accuracy. These devices are also capable of flying for hours on a regular fuel supply.

According to military sources, paramotor pilots can be trained within days, a stark contrast to the years required to train traditional aircraft pilots. This makes them an attractive option for the Myanmar military, especially given the increasing challenges they face with traditional aircraft. While paramotors are cheaper to produce and maintain, they come with their own set of challenges. Their low-altitude flights and slow speed make them vulnerable to gunfire, and they are typically used during the night to minimise visibility.

Widespread use of paramotors

The deadly attack in Chang U is among the deadliest to date but is far from the first. The first documented paramotor bombing happened on Christmas Day in 2024, in Myingyan, a key resistance area. In January 2025 alone, at least eight attacks occurred across multiple townships, leading to several deaths.

The military’s aircraft fleet is likely under strain due to high maintenance costs and resource shortages. As such, paramotors offer a cheaper and more efficient alternative for the junta, especially when many of their traditional aircraft are either grounded or too costly to operate. However, these devices are not without their limitations. Their slow speed and noise, often described as similar to a chainsaw, make them easy to hear, giving civilians a brief chance to seek cover. They also struggle in poor weather conditions, limiting their operational window.

Defensive measures

In response to these attacks, some residents have turned to building air raid shelters, though these come at a significant cost. A small bunker suitable for a family can cost as much as 500,000 kyats ($239), a steep price in a country where the minimum wage is around 4,800 kyats per day. In areas with advanced air defenses, paramotors are less effective, but in regions with fewer resources, they have proven to be a lethal and efficient tool for the junta’s ongoing campaign against resistance forces.

As Myanmar’s civil war drags on, the use of paramotors by the military signals a disturbing shift toward cheaper, more accessible airstrikes. With increasing losses in conventional aircraft and mounting resource constraints, paramotors are likely to remain a fixture in the junta's brutal tactics for years to come.