Air Power in Collapse: Myanmar’s Rakhine Theatre Before and After the War

Reading Time: 4 minutes The aerial landscape over western Myanmar has undergone a complete transformation between 2020 and 2025. The Myanmar military has lost the ability to conduct or sustain any air operations across Rakhine State. This represents not only a military defeat but a strategic collapse in the domain of air power. The skies above Rakhine are now completely uncontested. This development creates both opportunities and risks for neighbouring states, particularly Bangladesh, which now has the operational freedom to conduct unmanned missions in the area with no credible opposition from the ground. In the years prior to the current state of collapse, Myanmar maintained a limited air posture over Rakhine. The military deployed helicopters such as the Mi-17 and Mi-35P from forward facilities located near Ann and Sittwe. These rotary-wing platforms were employed primarily for troop movement, medical evacuation, and close air support during anti-insurgency operations. The military also