Sudan Military
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are the armed forces of the Republic of Sudan. They number, according to 2011 IISS estimates, 109,300. They comprises Land Forces, a Navy, an Air Force, and the Popular Defence Forces. They also previously had Joint Integrated Units formed together with its rebel enemies the Sudan People’s Liberation Army. The Armed Forces operate under the authority of the People’s Armed Forces Act 1986. In 1991, the Library of Congress used the term ‘Sudan People’s Armed Forces’ to refer to the entire armed forces, but by the late 2000s (decade), the ‘Sudanese Armed Forces’ term was most widespread. In 2004, the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress estimated that the Popular Defence Forces, the military wing of the National Islamic Front, consists of 10,000 active members, with 85,000 reserves. It has been deployed alongside regular army units against various rebel groups.
Sudan now receives most of its military equipment from the People’s Republic of China and Russia. Sudan has a weapons production company called the Military Industry Corporation.
Air Force
The Sudanese Air Force operates a number of aircraft, including Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters, Chengdu J-7 fighters, MiG-29 fighters, Su-25 close air support aircraft, and Q-5 ‘Fantan’ ground attack aircraft, and Antonov medium and long transport aircraft.
A long-established training centre and airbase is at Wadi Sayyidna, where No. 2 Fighter-Attack Squadron SuAF operated J-7s for a period.
The Armed Forces have suffered significant numbers of senior personnel killed in several aircraft crashes, in 2001, and in August 2012.
Jane’s Fighting Ships for 1999-2000 stated that the Sudanese navy was established in 1962 to operate on the Red Sea coast and the River Nile. In 1999, estimated naval strength was 1,300 officers and men. Reported bases were at Port Sudan and Flamingo Bay on the Red Sea and at Khartoum. The navy had two 70-ton, 75-foot, Kadir-class coastal patrol craft (Kadir (129) and Karari (130)), both transferred from Iran to Sudan in 1975, as well as sixteen inshore patrol craft and two supply ships:
- 4 Kurmuk class patrol boats
- 1 Swiftship type patrol boat
- 4 ex-Yugoslav patrol boats (Gihad class)
- 3 Sewart type patrol craft
- 2 Sobat class amphibious/Transport/Supply boats
The navy, according to 2004 estimates from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, now has 1,800 personnel, and a base at Marsa Gwayawi on the Red Sea