The Sudanese Air Force ( ar, القوّات الجوّيّة السودانيّة, Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya As-Sudaniya) is the air force operated by the Republic of the Sudan. As such it is part of the Sudanese Armed Forces.

History

The Sudanese Air Force was founded immediately after Sudan gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1956. The British assisted in the Air Force's establishment, providing equipment and training. Four new Hunting Provost T Mk 51s were delivered for jet training in 1961. In 1958, the Sudanese Air Force's transport wing acquired its first aircraft, a single Hunting President. In 1960 the Sudanese Air Force received an additional four re-furbished RAF Provosts and two more Hunting Presidents. Also in 1960, the transport wing's capability was increased by the addition of two Pembroke C Mk 54s. The Air Force gained its first combat aircraft when 12 Jet Provosts with a

close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...

capability were delivered in 1962. In the 1960s, the Soviet Union and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

started supplying the Sudanese Air Force with aircraft. This included supply of

Shenyang F-5 The Shenyang J-5 (Chinese: 歼-5) (NATO reporting name ''Fresco'') is a Chinese-built single-seat jet interceptor and fighter aircraft derived from the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. The J-5 was exported as the F-5 and was originally designated ...

fighters (F-5/FT-5 variants).

Aircraft

The air force flies a mixture of transport planes, fighter jets and helicopters sourced from places including the European Union, Russia,

and the United States. However, not all the aircraft are in a fully functioning condition and the availability of spare parts is limited. In 1991, the two main air bases were at the capital Khartoum and Wadi Sayyidna near

Omdurman Omdurman (standard ar, أم درمان ''Umm Durmān'') is a city in Sudan. It is the most populated city in the country, and thus also in the State of Khartoum. Omdurman lies on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and northwest of the ...

. On 4 April 2001, a Sudanese Antonov An-24 aircraft crashed in

Adaril The Adar oilfield, also known as the Adar Yale, Adar Yeil or Adaril field, is an oilfield situated in the Mabaan, Melut in South Sudan estimated to contain about of oil. The Chevron Corporation discovered the Adar Yale field in 1981, shortly be ...

(Adar Yeil, Adar Yale),

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

. The fifteen dead included a general, seven lieutenant generals, three brigadiers, a colonel, a lieutenant colonel and a corporal.Sudan-military-leaders-killed-in-plane-crash
", '' BreakingNews'', 4 April 2001, Retrieved 12 April 2010 Sudan has also made a successful deal to buy two different batches of 12

MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the Mi ...

Russian fighter jets each. There are 23 MiG-29s in active service as of late 2008."Directory: World Air Forces", '' Flight International'', 11–17 November 2008. However, the rebel Justice and Equality Movement claimed to have shot down one MiG-29 with large-caliber machine-gun fire on 10 May 2008, killing the pilot of the plane, a retired Russian Air Force fighter pilot; the Sudanese government denied the allegation. South Sudan also claimed to have shot down a Sudanese MiG-29 during the 2012 border conflict. During May, June, and August 2011, members of the UN Panel of Experts on the Sudan documented the following aircraft in Darfur, potentially indicating violations of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1556:'Letter dated 24 January 2011 from former members of the Panel of Experts on the Sudan established pursuant to Resolution 1591 (2005) and renewed pursuant to Resolution 1945 (2010) addressed to the Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan, page 30 *Five

Sukhoi Su-25 The Sukhoi Su-25 ''Grach'' (russian: Грач (''rook''); NATO reporting name: Frogfoot) is a subsonic, single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to provide close air support for Soviet Gro ...

ground attack aircraft (tail numbers 201, 204, 205, 207, 212) *Three Mi-17 transport helicopters (tail numbers 525, 540, 543) *Nine Mi-24 attack helicopters (tail numbers 928, 937, 938, 939, 942, 943, 947, 948 stationed at El Fasher and Nyala, and an additional Mi-24 which crashed near El Fasher on 18 April 2011.) Satellite imagery also indicates that a total of five other attack helicopters were present at Kutum, N Darfur, in April 2011, and at El Geneima in February 2011, but panel members have not determined whether they were introduced from outside Darfur in addition to those listed above, or moved from within Darfur. In August 2013, pictures showed Su-24's in Sudanese colors, reporting that the aircraft were among the ex Belarusian Air Force Su-24's retired in 2012. Various reports have said that the air force uses Iranian drones such as the Ghods Ababil.

Current inventory

Sudanese Air Force Sukhoi Su-25 Onyshchenko-1

Retired

Previous notable aircraft operated were the BAC Jet Provost, Douglas C-47,

MBB Bo 105 The Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 105 is a light, twin-engine, multi-purpose helicopter developed by Bölkow of Ottobrunn, West Germany. It was the first light twin-engine helicopter in the world, and the first rotorcraft that could perform a ...

, and the Agusta-Bell 212 helicopter.

Armament

Missiles

Air Defense

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S-60 S60 may refer to: Automobiles * S-60 (tractor), a Soviet tractor * Toyota Crown (S60), a sedan * Volvo S60, a compact executive car Aviation * Blériot-SPAD S.60, a French biplane fighter * Kenmore Air Harbor, in Kenmore, Washington, United ...

, +100 , Both S-60 and Type 59 versions , - , KS-19 , Soviet Union , Anti-aircraft gun , KS-19 , +40 , Status unknown , - ,

M163 VADS The M163 Vulcan Air Defense System (VADS) is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) that was used by the United States Army. The M168 gun is a variant of the General Dynamics M61 Vulcan rotary cannon, the standard cannon in most U.S. combat ...

, United States , Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun , M163 , +8 , , - , 9K32 Strela-2 , Soviet Union , Man portable surface-to-air missile launcher ,

SA-7 The 9K32 Strela-2 (russian: Cтрела, "arrow"; NATO reporting name SA-7 Grail) is a light-weight, shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missile (or MANPADS) system. It is designed to target aircraft at low altitudes with passive infrared homing gui ...

, +400 , , - , FN-6 ,

, Man portable surface-to-air missile launcher , FN-6 , +200 , , - , FIM-43 Redeye , United States , Manportable surface-to-air missile , FIM-43 , +125 , , - , QW-2 ,

, Man portable surface-to-air missile launcher , QW-2 , +200 , Sudan operates QW-1/2 , - , - , SA-2 Guideline , Soviet Union , Strategic SAM system , SA-2 , +90 Launchers , Sudan has operated the S-75 and the Chinese HQ-2 since 1970. , - , 9K33 OSA , Soviet Union , SAM system , SA-8 , Unknown , , - , HQ-64 ,

, SAM system , HQ-6 , Unknown , , - , HQ-16 ,

, Surface-to-air missile , HQ-16 , Unknown

References

Bibliography

* Silvester, John. "Call to Arms: The Percival Sea Prince and Pembroke". ''Air Enthusiast'', No. 55, Autumn 1994, pp. 56–61. {{Authority control Military of Sudan Military units and formations established in 1956 1956 establishments in Sudan