Myanmar and Russian military personnel exchange commemorative gifts during the closing ceremony of the joint military exercise Tiger-2026 in Nay Pyi Taw on July 17 2026. (Office of the Commander-In-Chief of Defense Services)
Myanmar and Russian special forces concluded their first joint military exercise, codenamed Tiger-2026, on July 17 after nearly two weeks of joint training, highlighting expanding defence cooperation between the two countries.
The exercise, held from July 6-17 at a military training ground in Myanmarese capital Naypyidaw, was inspected by Myanmar’s Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services General Ye Win Oo. Senior military officials from both countries, including the head of the Russian delegation, Lieutenant General Nosulev Mikhail Yakovlevich, attended the closing ceremony.
The two-week exercise featured reconnaissance operations using surveillance drones, helicopter-borne insertions, sniper operations and simulated assaults on enemy positions. Troops also carried out offensive manoeuvres using first-person-view (FPV) drones, heavy drones and the Russian-made Kurier ground robotic system. The drills also included simulated operations to protect a high-ranking official during an attack on a motorcade and to capture a mock terrorist base.
Russian instructors demonstrated FPV drone operations, helicopter abseiling, counter-drone tactics using smoothbore weapons and live-fire exercises involving the Blik small arms system. Myanmar personnel also received training in tactical medicine and urban assault operations.
General Ye Win Oo described Tiger-2026 as the first joint exercise between the armed forces of Myanmar and Russia. He said it provided an opportunity for troops from both countries to train together using military equipment deployed for the exercise and enabled Myanmar personnel to observe modern battlefield technologies, including drones, FPV systems and unmanned robotic ambulances used to evacuate casualties from combat zones.
Lt. Gen. Yakovlevich reaffirmed he expected military cooperation between the two countries to continue expanding through future joint training activities, adding that the exercises would strengthen military cooperation and support closer defence ties between the two countries.
Beyond the military drills, the joint exercise depicts the evolving nature of defence cooperation between Myanmar and Russia. While Russia has long been one of Myanmar’s principal defence partners, Tiger-2026 demonstrated an increasing emphasis on operational training, emerging technologies and military interoperability as part of their bilateral military engagement.
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