A/HRC/42/CRP.3 Navy following an agreement reached in March 2017, reportedly worth USD 38 million. 397 This agreement followed a visit by the Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy to Myanmar in November 2016.398 The official press release announcing the visit stated that India was providing assistance to the Myanmar Navy through military hardware and equipment, with the objective of bolstering its capacity.399 162. In April 2017, Israel Aerospace Industries, an Israeli State-owned enterprise, delivered two attack frigates to the Tatmadaw Navy.400 This delivery followed the filing of a petition before the Israeli Supreme Court in early 2017 seeking a prohibition on implementation of a defence cooperation agreement signed between Israel and Myanmar on the basis of the conduct of the Tatmadaw in northern Rakhine in October 2016. As a result of a subsequent decision by the Israeli Supreme Court, military export licenses were revoked and there has been no further defence cooperation.401 163. Privately-owned arms manufacturing companies have also sold arms and provided military training to the Tatmadaw. In October 2016, an Israeli military and police equipment and training company TAR Ideal Concepts, posted photographs on its website of its personnel training the Tatmadaw Special Operations Taskforce.402 In November 2018, a media statement by an official from the Philippine-based company, Armscor International, announced that it had sold competition handguns to the Tatmadaw Shooting Team, and was exploring how to further penetrate the Myanmar defence market, noting that “there are a number of security agencies in Myanmar that are interested in new defence products.”403 164. In addition to military equipment and other support supplied by these identified sources, the Tatmadaw purchases arms and equipment through third parties that masks their origins. According to the SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, in 2016, the Tatmadaw purchased second-hand light helicopters from unknown sources.404 According to an eyewitness, in the weeks prior to the clearance operations that began on 25 August 2017, light helicopters identified as Bell 206 or 212 helicopters (capacity of 8 to 10 persons) frequently flew into northern Rakhine, many to No. 1 BGP Headquarters in Kyee Kan Pyin, Maungdaw. 405 Bell 206 or 212 helicopters are light aircraft, which are often used to transport troops. 165. In addition to procuring arms, military equipment and arms manufacturing capacity, the Tatmadaw procured or sought to procure information and communications technology from at least seven foreign companies since 2016, under the official Ministry of Defence budget.406 These have included unmanned aerial vehicles, military air-traffic control systems, internet and cloud-based platforms and connectivity services, telecommunications technology, cameras, radio transceivers for ground-to-air communications, and precision navigation systems.407 These dual-use technologies, when exported from inside the European Union, would be subject to the EU controls on the exports of military technology and 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 58 Rajat Pandit, “India steps up supply of military equipment to Myanmar to counter China,” Times of India, 24 March 2017 (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-steps-up-supply-of-militaryequipment-to-myanmar-to-counter-china/articleshow/57815200.cms); SIPRI Database extract of transfers of major weapons: deals with deliveries or orders made for 2016 to 2018, SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Official website of Indian Navy, “Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, Chief of the Naval Staff visits Myanmar,” 1 November 2016 (https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/admiral-sunillanba-pvsm-avsm-adc-chief-naval-staff-visits-myanmar). Official website of Indian Navy, “Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, Chief of the Naval Staff visits Myanmar,” 1 November 2016 (https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/admiral-sunillanba-pvsm-avsm-adc-chief-naval-staff-visits-myanmar). Andrew Selth, “Myanmar: pariah status no bar to defence modernisation,” The Lowy Institute (https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/myanmar-pariah-status-no-bar-defence-modernisation). MM-002. MM-002, Digital records 1990, 1991 and 1997. “Filipino handguns triggering into Myanmar”, South Asian Monitor, 9 November 2018 (http://southasianmonitor.com/2018/11/09/filipino-handguns-triggering-into-myanmar/). SIPRI Database extract of transfers of major weapons: deals with deliveries or orders made for 2016 to 2018, SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. QM-001. See Annex VI. Arms and military equipment suppliers to the Tatmadaw. Digital records 2165, 2166, 2167, 2168, 2169, 2170 and 2171.