Htun Aung
Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Air Force and Burmese air force officer
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Htun Aung (Burmese: ထွန်းအောင်; pronounced [tʰʊ̀n àʊɴ]; born 1967) is a Burmese air force officer.[1] He currently serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Air Force.
Htun Aung | |
|---|---|
ထွန်းအောင် | |
| Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Air Force | |
| Assumed office 12 January 2022 | |
| Leader | Min Aung Hlaing |
| Preceded by | Maung Maung Kyaw |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1967 (age 58–59) Burma (now Myanmar) |
| Citizenship | Burmese |
| Alma mater | Defence Services Academy |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Myanmar |
| Branch/service |  Myanmar Air Force |
| Rank |  General |
| Battles/wars | Internal conflict in Myanmar |
Military career
Htun Aung graduated from the 29th batch of the Defence Services Academy.[2] In 2020, he sat on the board of directors of Myanma Economic Holdings Limited, a military-owned conglomerate.[3]
On 12 January 2022, Htun Aung was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Air Force, succeeding Maung Maung Kyaw, who was forced to retire from the military.[4][5] Prior to his promotion, he served as Maung Maung Kyaw's chief of staff.[6]
In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, the Burmese military has launched airstrikes against anti-regime resistance forces and civilians.[7] On 30 June 2022, under Htun Aung's command, a Burmese fighter jet violated Thai airspace after flying 4–5 kilometres (2.5–3.1 mi) into Phop Phra district in Thailand's Tak province.[8][9] Htun Aung subsequently issued an apology to this Thai counterpart, Napadej Dhupatemiya.[9] The governments of the European Union, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom have sanctioned Htun Aung for human rights violations.[10]