Sudan has signed a $1.5 billion defense contract with Pakistan as the conflict in the country continues to rage. The agreement was finalized during a high-level visit by Sudanese military officials including Lieutenant General Pilot Al-Tahir Mohamed Al-Awad Al-Amin, Commander of the Sudanese Air Force, who met with Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Air Force chief, and other key senior officials. This deal, brokered through the Sudanese Military Industry Corporation, marks a significant deepening of military ties between Khartoum and Islamabad.
Under the terms of the contract, Pakistan will supply a formidable array of military hardware: 10 K-8 Karakorum trainer/light attack aircraft, 20 Shahpar-2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 150 YIHA-III UAVs, 50 MR-10K UAVs, 50 Ababeel-5 UAVs, MiG-21 engines, 150 ASV Mohafiz armored vehicles, and advanced air defense systems of types HQ-9 and HQ-6.
The sheer scale of the package suggests involvement by a third-party financier, given Sudan’s fiscal constraints. Media analysts have indicated that this robust procurement underscores the Sudanese military’s commitment to a militarized resolution to the conflict, with little appetite remaining for negotiations.
The timing of the arms deal is particularly striking. It arrives as Sudan grapples with one of the gravest humanitarian crises globally. The civil war, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has led to widespread devastation, displacement, loss of life, and sown instability across the region.
Pakistan, while advancing this major military contract, has simultaneously maintained a public posture advocating for peace in Sudan. Its United Nations envoy and Foreign Minister have repeatedly called for ceasefire and dialogue, condemning external interference and underscoring Sudan’s sovereignty.
