The clashes between ground forces in Sudan have reached a stalemate. For this reason, both sides are acquiring drones to enhance their combat capabilities.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) aim to counter the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with the domestically-produced Safrouq drone. The drone features advanced technology, including anti-jamming capabilities, and has a range of 600 kilometers. The Safrouq can be used for reconnaissance as well as a kamikaze drone. In recent months, this drone model has increasingly been deployed for kamikaze attacks.
The drone was introduced in July at the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul and has become progressively more functional. The SAF also utilizes technology from Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı drones, which have played a crucial role in the army’s successes.
The RSF, on the other hand, has increased its drone operations from its base in Nyala, South Darfur, using Chinese-made FH-95 kamikaze drones. Many of the RSF drones are designed to fly long distances into SAF-controlled territory and loiter above potential targets before striking.
In recent weeks, the RSF has used its loitering drones to attack a power station in Omdurman, an oil refinery in Khartoum, and a weapons factory in Yarmouk. In early October, RSF drones struck a hospital and residential areas in el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan.
Additionally, RSF drones are being used for targeted assassination attempts.