Baykar drone allows Sudanese forces to destroy Chinese air defence system photo

Sudan’s army said it had destroyed a Chinese-made FK-2000 air defence system operated by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) using a drone produced by Türkiye’s Baykar.

The system was neutralized during ongoing combat operations in the Ed Dubeibat area of South Kordofan, according to Caliber.Az, citing Turkish media.

The military said the FK-2000 had been deployed by RSF units to challenge Sudanese Air Force operations over central and southern regions of the country.

Sudanese military sources alleged that the air defence systems were supplied to the RSF from the United Arab Emirates, with transfers routed through Chad.

The RSF had previously used the FK-2000 to shoot down several Sudanese Air Force aircraft, military officials said. Reported losses attributed to RSF air defences included transport planes such as the Il-76 as well as multiple unmanned aerial vehicles, including Bayraktar Akıncı strike drones.

Sudan’s Armed Forces have been locked in a nearly three-year conflict with the RSF. Analysts say the balance of power has shifted at various points, influenced by changing regional alliances and increased external military support.

The war, which erupted in April 2023, has displaced millions of people and fueled one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Of Sudan’s 18 states, the RSF controls all five in the western Darfur region, except for parts of North Darfur that remain under army control.

Türkiye has sought to mediate the conflict, attempting to bring representatives of both warring factions back to the negotiating table.

By Nazrin Sadigova