Myanmar Navy Fits River Patrol Vessels with Improvised Drone Protection Using Scrap Tires and Wire Mesh

Myanmar's navy has reportedly begun retrofitting its river patrol vessels with improvised anti-drone protection, using discarded vehicle tires and metal wire-mesh cage structures.

Modification Details: Y301-Class River Gunboat

Photographs show a Y301-class river gunboat that has undergone an emergency field modification. Discarded vehicle tires have been fixed along the exterior of the hull to serve as improvised armor, intended to absorb or deflect the impact of drone attacks. The vessel's superstructure has been fully enclosed with metal wire caging designed to prevent small drones — or the explosive payloads they carry — from making direct contact with critical components.

This approach to improvised protection has become increasingly common across multiple conflict zones in recent years. It closely mirrors the "turtle shell" protective cage concept seen on armored vehicles on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Myanmar Ranks Third Globally in Drone Warfare Activity

According to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), Myanmar ranks third in the world for recorded drone warfare activity, behind only Ukraine and Russia.

Since the military coup in 2021, the conflict between resistance forces and the military junta has intensified significantly, with both sides making extensive use of modified commercial drones for reconnaissance and attack missions. Drone strikes have become a key tactic in Myanmar's civil war, posing a growing threat to the junta's riverine patrol capabilities.

Battlefield Realities of Low-Cost Defense

The improvised modifications revealed in these images reflect how parties operating in resource-constrained conflict environments are responding to rapidly evolving drone threats through low-cost means. While tires and wire mesh cannot compare to purpose-built armor protection, they do offer a degree of mitigation against the direct impact or explosive payload delivery of small commercial drones.

The imagery was sourced by military analyst Andriy Tarasenko.

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