Myanmar Mi-17 Chopper Shot Down By FN-6 MANPAD

    (Translated staff articles from Myanmar FACE BOOK posts on 03 January 2023.)

A Myanmar Air Force’s Mi-17 transport helicopter was shot down in rugged Kachin State by KIA Kachin rebels with a Chinese-supplied FN-6 MANPAD shoulder-fired missile launcher on January-3.

The shot-down occurred at just before noon on third January while the Mi-17 was delivering supplies and troops to the Nar-phaut army camp in Waimaw Township near the Kachin State Capital Myit-kyi-nar.

This is the fourth Myanmar Airforce’s aircraft shot down by a FN-6 MANPAD since 2021. The first one was a Russian Chopper shot down also by KIA near Myothit Town in Moemauk Township on 2012 May-3. Myanmar Army admitted that three Air Force officers were killed then.

The second one was a YAK fighter-trainer jet shot down in Bakhae Township of Kayah State in 2023 July.  The third one was another YAK fighter-trainer jet shot down in Frusoe Township in 2023 November. The pilot Major Khaing Thant Moe managed to parachute down but was captured by local resistance fighters later.

The 43-year-old pilot was captured after his K-8W fighter jet crashed during a clash in Karenni State on Nov-11. He ejected from the plane along with his co-pilot, Lieutenant Zarni Htet Maung, and was arrested on Nov-19. His co-pilot is still missing.

The portable MANPAD used was one of the China-made FN-6 shoulder-fired missile launchers supplied to the pro-China Northern Alliance rebel armies through the UWSA (United Wa State Army) since 2014.

FN-6 MANPAD Missile Launcher From CHINA

The FN-6 is a man-portable air defense missile system (MANPADS) designed and manufactured in China by the Defense Company Poly Technologies. it is deployed as a two-man team however, a second soldier is not required to put ready the system to fire or fire the system. It is a third-generation passive infrared (IR) man-portable air defense system.

The FN-6 has the capability of all-direction attack and anti-infrared jamming. The FN-6 is a fire-and-forget system that is easy to transport and use. The FN-6 is specially designed to engage low-flying targets flying at or less than 300m/s. The weapon was specifically designed to be used against targets flying at low and very low altitudes.

The FN-6 was developed in parallel with the Qian Wei (QW) missile series. FN-6, or FeiNu-6, is the export name given to the export version derived from this system, and it is known as HongYing-6 in the PLA.

The training simulator of FN-6 is not developed by the contractor of the missile system, but instead, the simulator is developed by PLA itself after the missile was purchased, and the general designer of the training simulator of FN-6 is Mr. Liu Weixing. The training simulator of FN-6 is also used for later versions of MANPADS developed from FN-6.

Export sales of the weapon are the responsibility of China National Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation, a state-owned trading company responsible for representing the domestic defense production industry in air defense-related products.

According to Janes, the FN-6 is a third-generation, passive infrared, man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS). It is equipped with a digital infrared seeker with a strong resistance to flares, solar heat, and heat from the ground.

The pyramid-shaped nose of the missile houses the four-unit infrared seeker. The handle of the launcher houses the batteries and cooling system. An IFF antenna and an optional clip-on optical sight are fitted onto the launcher. The missile is capable of an all-aspect attack and has a 70% single shot hit probability.

It can engage targets maneuvering at up to 4 g. When FN-6 MANPADS can be equipped with night vision equipment, and it can also be equipped with IFF systems, two of which were shown to the public, one of which is similar in appearance to AN/PPX-1 IFF of FIM-92 Stinger, while the other IFF system is a fishbone configuration. When equipped with an IFF system, the name is changed from FN-6 to FY-6, or short for Fei Ying, meaning Flying Eagle.

Mi-17 Military Transport Helicopter From Russia

The Mi-17 military transport helicopter is designed to carry personnel, cargo and equipment inside the cargo cabin or on an external sling, drop tactical air assault forces and reconnaissance and sabotage groups, destroy ground targets and carry the wounded. 

The helicopter is equipped with a modern avionics suite providing round-the-clock employment of the helicopter and weapons. Its armament system includes unguided rockets (up to 80 S-8 80mm unguided aerial rockets), cannons (suspended pods with 23mm cannons and 250 rounds each) and small arms.

The helicopter is fitted with a self-defense system against heat seeker missiles, heavily-armored cockpit, vital systems and components, and features enhanced survivability.