Myanmar Navy commissioned its largest frigate UMS Thalun Min and held the opening ceremony of a 40,000 ton floating dry dock.
The ceremony to open Myanmar’s largest floating dry dock was held at the Naval Shipyard Headquarters in Yangon on March 8. The ceremony was attended by the chief of Tatmadaw (Myanmar’s military) Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. The keel laying ceremony for two 63 meter class ASW vessels, which will be built at this dry dock, was also held.
Along with UMS Thalun Min, four Inland Multipurpose Vessels built by the Navy were inducted. These are likely to be utilized in the ongoing civil war between thr Tatmadaw and various ethnic and democratic entities.
The FF-135 type frigate UMS Thalun Min was launched in December 2024. It is the largest naval vessel ever built domestically by Myanmar. The 135 meter long frigate displaces 3,500 tons and has a beam of 14.5 meters and draught of 4.1 meters. The vessel can achieve speeds of about 30 knots. It is understood that the vessel utilized modular construction techniques. Prior to commissioning, Thalun Min underwent sea trials for over a month, covering 3,418 nautical miles in 279 hours.
Previously, Myanmar has domestically constructed two frigates of the 3,000 ton Kyan Sittha class and a lone 2,500 ton Aung Zeya class frigate. Various corvettes and smaller vessels have also been constructed domestically.
China, India and Russia are historically among the main suppliers of various systems and vessels for Myanmar’s Navy. This includes the former INS Sindhuvir, a Kilo class submarine in service since 2020 as UMS Min Ye Theinkhathu and UMS Min Ye Kyaw Htin, a used Type 035B Ming class submarine acquired from China in 2021.
While China and Russia have been the major suppliers of systems, India had also supplied a few radars, sonars and lightweight torpedoes for Myanmar’s vessels. UMS Thalun Min is considered to mostly use various Chinese and Russian equipment. In a significant addition to Myanmar Navy’s capability is a VLS for air defense missiles. The equipment onboard visually resembles two RBU-6000 ASW rocket launchers, a 76 mm class main gun H/PJ-26, a Type 730B CIWS, ET-52 lightweight torpedoes and C-802 anti-ship missile launchers.
The Tatmadaw, which is currently in power after a 2021 coup, is continuing to build both ocean going and riverine capability to maintain its edge in the water over its civilian opposition.