Pakistan Nears $1.5 billion Weapons and Drone Deal With Sudan
Avery Warfield
Pakistan is close to finalizing a massive $1.5 billion weapons deal with Sudan, according to a retired Pakistani air marshal and other sources. This sale could significantly shift the balance of power in Sudan’s devastating civil war, providing drones and aircraft to Sudan’s army in their conflict against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
What’s Being Sold
The deal includes:
10 Karakoram-8 light attack aircraft – Chinese-designed jets that Pakistan manufactures domestically.
Over 200 drones – both reconnaissance models for intelligence gathering and kamikaze-style drones designed to crash into targets.
Advanced air defense systems
Super Mushshak training aircraft
Possibly JF-17 Thunder fighters – more advanced combat jets that Pakistan developed with China.
Why This Matters for Sudan’s War
Sudan has been torn apart by civil war for over 2.5 years between the national Sudanese army and the powerful Sudanese paramilitary group RSF. Early in the conflict, Sudan’s army dominated with aircraft and helicopters. But the RSF has increasingly acquired its own drones, allowing it to capture more territory.
This Pakistani deal could restore the army’s air superiority. Drones and attack aircraft would give government forces a critical advantage.
The conflict has displaced millions of people, but foreign powers continue supplying weapons to both sides. Sudan’s army claims the UAE is backing the RSF with weapons (which the UAE denies).
The Saudi Connection
The deal’s financing remains murky. Some sources suggest Saudi Arabia may be bankrolling the purchase or at least brokering it, though others suggest Saudi Arabia isn’t providing funds. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are reportedly negotiating a defense deal worth $2-4 billion, and the Sudanese weapons could be part of that larger arrangement.
This gets more complicated because Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who are normally close allies, are currently feuding over Yemen, where they back opposing factions. Both countries are also supposed to be working together in a U.S.-led group trying to negotiate peace in Sudan. Now they may be indirectly supporting opposite sides.
Pakistan’s Rising Arms Industry
This deal represents a new moment for Pakistan’s defense manufacturing sector. The country is aggressively marketing its military equipment abroad:
Libya: Just signed a $4+ billion deal for jets and weapons with forces in eastern Libya
Bangladesh: In talks for fighter jets and trainers
Growing credibility: Pakistan’s military equipment gained attention after its jets were used in a conflict with India last year
The country nearly defaulted on its debts in 2023 and is currently participating in a US$ 7 billion IMF bailout program. Defense exports offer a path to foreign currency and economic stability. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states helped Pakistan avoid bankruptcy, and Pakistan may now be returning the favor by arming its regional allies.
Further, Pakistan has found a lucrative business model in manufacturing affordable military equipment (often based on Chinese designs) and selling it to countries that Western nations won’t supply. The deal isn’t finalized yet, but sources say it’s essentially done. That means more drones, jets, and weapons will soon be heading to one of the world’s deadliest conflicts.
Read more about the war in Sudan and the use of drones in the conflict below:
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