Myanmar Completed First Two of 49 meter FAC-M

49 meter FAC-M with hull number 491 and detail weapon of hull number 492 (all photos : Myanmar Navy)

Fast Attack Craft Missile 491 and 492 of Myanmar

Myanmar has completed the first two of ten new FAC-M vessels, which besides having weapon system and electronic suite from the Russian-Chinese combination, also incorporates RCS technology much like other main ASEAN naval power such as Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand and Malaysia.

One of the most significant development for Myanmar Navy in 2013 was the launching of new FAC (Stealth)(pennant number P 491) which is 49 meter long and armed with 4 x C 802 SSMs and a single AK 630 CIWS.  A second ship of this class was completed by end of 2014.

Myanmar Navy planned to build 10 ships of this class.

Kanwa Defense Review, a magazine published by Andrei Pinkov, a military analyst from Canada, said Myanmar's stealth looked very similar to the 500-tonne fast attack craft the PLA Navy turned over to Pakistan in 2012.

The new stealth missile boat will likely carry the C-802 or C-802A like its counterpart in Pakistan, the article said. This demonstrates that China still has strong influence over Myanmar despite the end of the nation's military regime. Islamabad is also negotiating with Beijing to purchase the C-602 missile, according to Kanwa.

Myanmar Navy FAC 491 is armed with 4 C-802 Missile which has a range of 120 km, it is also armed with one Ak-630 CIWS. The Radar and sensor system is unknown.

This Fast Attack Craft (FAC) is similar to Pakistan Navy Azmat class FAC which has a displacement of 500 ton and carries 8 C-802A missile.

(DefenceBd)