A former senior Pakistani air force official and three informed sources said that Pakistan has entered the final stages of concluding a $1.5 billion deal to supply Sudan with weapons and aircraft—a move expected to provide a significant boost to the Sudanese military as it battles the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The conflict in Sudan, which has been ongoing for more than two and a half years, has fueled what is considered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, drawn in multiple foreign actors, and threatened the fragmentation of the Red Sea nation, a strategically important country and a major gold producer.
Two of the three sources familiar with the deal—who all requested anonymity—said the agreement includes 10 Karakoram-8 light attack aircraft, more than 200 drones for reconnaissance and loitering (suicide) attacks, as well as advanced air defense systems.
Air Marshal (Ret.) Amir Masood, a former senior Pakistani air force officer who continues to receive briefings on air force affairs, said the deal is “a done deal.”
He added that, in addition to the Karakoram-8 aircraft, the agreement also includes Super Mushshak trainer aircraft and possibly a number of JF-17 fighter jets, which are jointly developed with China and manufactured in Pakistan, without specifying the number of aircraft or the delivery timeline.
