Mortar shell is an unidentified mortar projectile documented as an improvised aerial payload in the 2021 Myanmar Civil War. Fulcrum reported a People's Defense Force hexacopter dropping mortar shells on junta troops, and AP and Guardian reporting later described Myanmar junta paramotors and gyrocopters using mortar shells as hand-dropped bombs. Public reporting does not identify the exact caliber, maker, fuze, or model for these Myanmar examples.
Fulcrum documented a PDF force in Kayin State dropping mortar shells from a larger hexacopter on junta troops, while AP and Guardian reporting later described junta paramotors and gyrocopters hand-dropping mortar shells in low-altitude attacks.
The public Myanmar reporting identifies the payload as mortar shells but does not consistently identify the caliber, fuze, factory, or model. This entry therefore treats the weapon as an observed mortar-projectile payload rather than a named ammunition model.
| Evidence lane | Supported detail | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Resistance UAV footage | A PDF force in Kayin State used a larger hexacopter to drop mortar shells on junta troops. | The exact shell model and caliber were not publicly identified. |
| Junta paramotor and gyrocopter reporting | AP and Guardian reporting described mortar shells being hand-dropped from low-altitude light aircraft. | Reports describe the munition class, not a specific manufacturer or variant. |
| General mortar-ammunition references | U.S. Army sources document common 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm mortar ammunition families and HE, illumination, smoke, and training roles. | Those references support class context, not the exact Myanmar payload identity. |
Myanmar reporting links mortar shells to both resistance drone drops and junta low-altitude light-aircraft attacks.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Commercial hexacopter UAV | Fulcrum reported drone footage from Kayin State showing mortar shells being dropped from a larger hexacopter drone on junta troops. Sources: Resistance Forces in Myanmar: Changing the State of Play with Weaponised Drones |
 | Paramotor attack platform | AP reported Myanmar military paramotors dropping mortar shells by hand, and The Guardian reported junta soldiers using commercial motorized paragliders to drop mortar shells on villages. Sources: AP Myanmar paramotor and gyrocopter attacks, Guardian Myanmar paramotor raids |
 | Gyrocopter attack platform | AP reported Myanmar military gyrocopters as part of the same low-altitude attack pattern, with aircraft carrying 30 to 40 mortar shells for hand or crude-mechanism release. |
Fulcrum described footage of mortar shells being dropped from a larger PDF hexacopter drone onto junta troops in Kayin State.
Sources: Resistance Forces in Myanmar: Changing the State of Play with Weaponised Drones
AP reported that a Myanmar military paramotor dropped two shells on anti-election protesters at a candlelight vigil in Sagaing Region, killing at least 24 people.
Sources: AP Myanmar paramotor and gyrocopter attacks
The Guardian reported that Myanmar junta soldiers used commercial motorized paragliders to drop mortar shells during village attacks.
Sources: Guardian Myanmar paramotor raids
