Deadly skies: advanced weapons escalate Sudan’s civil war, threaten regional stability

Sudan’s brutal civil war is entering a far deadlier phase, as advanced weaponry — including surface-to-air missile systems and suicide drones — floods the battlefield, raising alarms about civilian air safety and regional destabilization, according to a Washington Post investigation and confidential arms reports.
Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) now wield SA-7s, a type of Man-Portable Air Defense System, guided anti-tank missiles, and what experts believe is a Chinese FK-2000 surface-to-air missile system, enabling them to shoot down high-altitude military drones. RSF-linked drones also closely resemble those used by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, suggesting shared suppliers or training. Weapons have poured in from Turkey, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and China, despite long-standing arms embargoes. A confidential report by Conflict Armament Research (CAR) — shared with Sudanese intelligence — confirms multiple recovered drones and missiles bearing foreign markings, some obscured with black paint.
The RSF, already accused of war crimes, now reportedly operates from UAE-constructed airfields in Chad, while the Sudanese military retaliates with Turkish Bayraktar drones and Iranian-made munitions. Experts warn the proliferation of these weapons — many trafficked across the porous Sahel region — risks sparking broader militant activity and threatening civil aviation. U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen called for tougher sanctions and tighter enforcement, warning that “the flow of weapons into Sudan is fueling this devastating war.” As Sudan spirals into the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, the unchecked arms race between warring factions is reshaping modern warfare — and potentially endangering security far beyond its borders.