Pakistan is in the final stages of finalizing a defense agreement valued at approximately US$1.5 billion with Sudan, in which it would supply the latter’s Armed Forces with aircraft, drones, and air defense systems. According to recently disclosed information, the weaponry package would be intended to bolster Sudanese military capabilities within the framework of the civil war pitting the government against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to sources, the agreement contemplates the provision of more than 200 drones intended for reconnaissance missions and attacks with loitering munitions, as well as 10 K-8 Karakoram light attack aircraft. Advanced air defense systems would also be included, the technical details of which were not specified. Likewise, the package would encompass PAC MFI-395 Super Mushshak training aircraft and could incorporate JF-17 Thunder fighters, jointly developed by Pakistan and China, although no quantities or delivery deadlines have been defined at this time.
Retired Air Marshal of Pakistan Aamir Masood, who continues to receive briefings related to the Air Force, described the deal as “done.” For its part, the government in Islamabad did not respond to requests for comment, while a spokesperson for the Sudanese army also declined to make statements.
Sources did not detail the financing scheme of the agreement. In this regard, Masood noted that Saudi Arabia could play a role, although there are divergent versions as to whether Riyadh would act as a direct financier or solely as a facilitator of the operation.
The role of the Sudanese Air Force in the internal conflict
Since the beginning of the civil war in April 2023, the Sudanese Air Force has become a central component in sustaining the State’s military structure against the advance of the RSF. Various analysts agree that, without the use of aerial assets, several of the main military bases in Khartoum would have been captured by paramilitary forces in the early stages of the conflict.
In this context, Sudanese aviation has recurrently turned to MiG-29 fighters for low-altitude interdiction missions, as well as a combination of aerial and ground attacks in regions such as Darfur and Kordofan, with the aim of disrupting RSF logistical lines, particularly those coming from southern Libya. At the end of 2025, the Sudanese Armed Forces reported that airstrikes in Kordofan allowed for the destruction of 240 RSF combat vehicles and the neutralization of drone assets stationed at Nyala airport.
The inventory of the Sudanese Air Force is mostly composed of platforms of Russian and Chinese origin, including MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-29, Su-24, and Su-25, in addition to Chinese aircraft such as the Nanchang Q-5, Shenyang J-6, and Chengdu J-7. Added to these capabilities are FTC-2000 Shanying advanced trainers, acquired from China in 2016, which provide additional light combat capability.
Intensification of drone use by the RSF
The possible agreement with Pakistan occurs in a context marked by the increase in the use of drones by the RSF. This week, paramilitary forces launched a drone attack against an army base in the city of Singa, in the southeast of the country, causing the death of 27 people and leaving 73 wounded, according to military and health sources reported to the AFP agency.
A military official indicated that the RSF drones “attacked the headquarters of the army’s 17th Infantry Division,” while the Health Minister of Sennar state, Ibrahim al-Awad, confirmed the number of victims. The attack occurred one day after the army-aligned government announced its return to Khartoum, after nearly three years operating from Port Sudan.
Since April 2023, the conflict has caused tens of thousands of deaths, the displacement of 11 million people, and a humanitarian crisis that the United Nations has described as a “war atrocity,” with accusations of attacks against civilians by both sides.
Expansion of Pakistani defense exports
The negotiation with Sudan is part of a broader strategy of expansion for Pakistan’s defense exports. In recent weeks, Islamabad has reportedly finalized an agreement for more than US$4 billion for the sale of JF-17 Thunder fighters to the Libyan National Army (LNA), according to Pakistani sources cited by international media, despite the current UN arms embargoes imposed on Tripoli.
In this scenario, the potential agreement with Sudan would consolidate Pakistan’s positioning as a relevant provider of weapons systems in Africa and the Middle East, in a context of prolonged conflicts and the reconfiguration of military alliances.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
*Translated by Constanza Matteo
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