The MA rifles are primarily used by the Tatmadaw,[9] although it is also seen with the Myanmar Police Force.[10]
The MA designation on the weapon means Myanmar Army.[11] The series are sometimes erroneously referred to as the EMERK-3.[2]
History
The Tatmadaw was armed with the BA63 (Burma Army 63), the Myanma-made version of the Heckler & Koch G3A3 battle rifle[12] made under license agreement with West Germany under the Ka Pa Sa factories in partnership with Fritz Werner Industry Ausrustungen-Gmbh (FRG) and the German Technical Corporation Agency.[13] However, it was considered too heavy for Myanma soldiers to use in jungle warfare.[7]
A team of engineers from IMI reportedly visited Yangon in 1991, helping with preparing the foundation to manufacture the MA-1s.[14][15] Reports cite Israel's support of Myanmar in developing the MA-1 despite repeated denials by Israeli officials based in Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand.[8] According to William Ashton, Israel sought Myanmar out in order to gain international allies due to the constant threat of being surrounded by hostile states in the Middle East.[8]
The MA-series was first spotted in the early 2000s at numerous Tatmadaw Armed Forces Day parades and demonstrations,[16][15] replacing the previous Heckler & Koch G3 rifles that were in service.[7]
From 2014, the Mk II variant is being used by the Tatmadaw as their standard rifle.[21]
Plans were made to fully adopt the DI MA-1 Mk. III, but plans are halted due to quality issues.[22]
In March 2022, the Tatmadaw showcased a new type of the MA-1 Mk. II rifle in the Armed Forces Day parade, which has a telescopic stock and a picatinny rail on the upper receiver.[4] It was supposed to be shown in public in 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
In May 2023, MA-1 and MA-3s are used by the PDF in the civil war, captured from Myanma soldiers and police officers.[10]
Design
Tatmadaw soldiers in an honor guard holding MA-1s in a rifle salute.
Serial production started in 2002 after signing an agreement with IMI.[7] The assault rifles were mostly made at Ka Pa Sa No 1 or DI-1,[11] a factory located near Inya Lake that serves as the main factory.[7][23]
The MA-1 rifles are made with ventilated handguards and horizontal charging handles, unlike the Galil which has a vertical charging handle.[2] Early models (Mk. I) have curved cheekpieces in the buttstocks with later models (Mk. II) omitting this.[24] MA rifles are compatible with Galil magazines,[2] although they can use polymer magazines.[24] Any MA rifle can use a clone of the Type 81 bayonet if a bayonet lug is present.
They were initially introduced with wooden handguards; early models were made with brown polymer furniture and rounded, smooth pistol grips.[25] Later versions were produced with black furniture and clear cut Galil grips, designated as the Mk II.[26] It also uses synthetic alloys and plastics in its construction.[21]
An indicator for a MA rifle that is optimized to fire rifle grenades is the presence of tall iron sights.[24] The rifles can use the MG-2 rifle grenade.[5]
In an interview back in 2009 with Sai Sheng Murng, the deputy spokesman of the Shan State Army (RCSS), he mentioned that foreign-made 5.56 NATO ammo cannot be used in the MA rifles while Myanma-made ammo can work with foreign assault rifles chambered in the same caliber.[7]
The selectors consist of safe, semi-auto and full-auto mode.[25]
Variants
MA-1
Standard assault rifle with a bayonet lug for the option to have a bayonet mounted.[2] It's reported by convicted porters under the Tatmadaw that Myanma soldiers would write the battalion number on its stock.[27]
The bipod was not made standard with the MA-1s with the cleaning kit stored in a hollow space in the buttstock. The MA-1s are not equipped with a pistol grip-type safety system.[28]
MA-2
Light machine gun version with a heavy barrel and a bipod mounted.[29] It was originally developed without the idea of using a drum magazine, relying on standard capacity magazines,[30] but it can be used with drum magazines.[5]
The handguard has two rows of ventilation holes that are parallel to the barrel.[28] It has a carry handle, long/heavy barrel and bipod.[25]
The bipods used are thin-based for Mk. I versions, but the Mk. II versions are seen with bipods that are cloned from those used for the M60 GPMG.[5]
MA-3
Carbine version with a folding metal buttstock.[31] The stock is rarely used due to great difficulty in moving it[28] and to fully depress the lock in order to unfold it.[25] Early models were badly made due to the materials used in its manufacture before they were fully resolved through the Mk II variant.
MA-4
A version of the MA-1 equipped with an underbarrel grenade launcher (UBGL),[31] known as the BA203 (Burma Army 203).[32] It is an unlicensed clone of the MKEK T-40.[33][d]
The UBGL is permanently fixed, which cannot be removed.
Mk. II
Pre-2019
The Mk. II variant saw the use of polymer to replace the black stock of the Mk. I.[5] It was also often equipped with polymer stocks, pistol grips, and fore-ends as standard issue.[25]
Post-2019
The newer Mk II variants were shown overseas at the 2019 Defense and Security exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand, which was visited by Min Aung Hlaing.[35] This variant was publicly shown in 2022 with the Tatmadaw with a telescopic stock and picatinny rail on the upper receiver.[4] The new Mk II magazine is based on the South African polymer Vektor R4 magazine.[24] The black moulds used in the newer Mk II variants were allegedly based on moulding materials provided by CAA Industries.[36]
Known as Myanmar Army Sniper, a designated marksman rifle variant based on the MA-2.[37] It's chambered in 7.62x51 NATO caliber and fires from a 10-round magazine.[37] There are reports indicating that production may have started as early as 2011 to 2012.[38]
It has a total weight of 5.3 kg, a total length of 1140 mm and a barrel length of 620 mm.[37] The rifle has a muzzle velocity of 852 m/s and an effective range of 1000 meters.[37]
The MA-S consist of a Mk. I and Mk. II version. The Mk. I resembles a Dragunov that can take 10-round magazines[5][37] with a PSO-1 scope.[39] The Mk. II resembles Zastava-based rifles that can take 20-round magazines.[5]
The Mk. II has a picatinny rail under the gas block to install a bipod.[5] It comes in two colors; green or black furniture.[5] A version of the Mk. II in a camo finish was on display at the 2019 Defence and Security arms fair.[5]
There is a MA-S variant made for Tatmadaw soldiers participating in overseas shooting competitions such as the ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet.[40]
Users
Myanmar: Widely used by the Tatmadaw and the Myanmar Police.
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