Sudanese Air Force


The Sudanese Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Sudanese Armed Forces. It was established in 1956 following Sudan's independence earlier that year, and first saw action in the First Sudanese Civil War.

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 SAF gained its first combat aircraft when 12 Jet Provosts with a close air support capability were delivered in 1962. In the 1960s, the Soviet Union and China began to supply the Sudanese Air Force with aircraft. This included supply of Shenyang F-5 fighters.

Air bases

Equipment

Aircraft

The air force flies a mixture of transport planes, fighter jets and helicopters which are mainly sourced from the Soviet Union/Russia and China. However, not all the aircraft are in a fully functioning state and the availability of spare parts has been limited. In 1991, the two main air bases were at the capital Khartoum and Wadi Sayyidna near Omdurman.
On 4 April 2001, a Sudanese Antonov An-24 aircraft crashed in Adaril, Sudan. The fifteen dead included a general, seven lieutenant generals, three brigadiers, a colonel, a lieutenant colonel and a corporal.
In 2009, Sudan made a successful deal to buy two different batches of 12 MiG-29 Russian fighter jets each. There were 23 MiG-29s in active service as of late 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.
In mid-2011, members of the UN Panel of Experts on the Sudan documented the following aircraft in Darfur which potentially indicated 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 and renewed pursuant to Resolution 1945 addressed to the Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1591 concerning the Sudan, page 30
  • *Five Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft
  • *Three Mi-17 transport helicopters
  • *Nine Mi-24 attack helicopters 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

It is difficult to establish the current aircraft inventory of the Sudanese Air Force because of the ongoing [Sudan Sudan civil war (2023-present)|civil war (2023-present)|civil war] and because reliable public open sources detailing the Air Force's inventory are hard to find. This lack of good sources was a problem even before the current civil war and the civil war has naturally only made it harder to establish a full and true picture of the state of the Air Force. The table below listing manned aircraft of the Sudanese air force is almost totally based on the World Air Forces 2026 publication by FlightGlobal. There are differing estimates of the state of the Air Force to that of World Air Forces 2026; for example, Sudan War Monitor internet publication, which follows the current civil war, published on 12 January 2026 a writing that says the following of the Sudanese Air Force: "... loss of nearly all the Air Force’s equipment since 2023", "Sudan’s Air Force lost many of its MiG-29 fighter jets on the first day of the war...", "In the following months, the RSF shot down many of the Air Force’s remaining jets...", "... Antonov and Ilyushin cargo planes... lasted somewhat longer, but sustained losses in 2024-2025, ending a two-year bombing campaign...", "Since last year, Sudan’s Air Force has lost a substantial proportion of its newly acquired Turkish drone fleet", "... the Ilyushin bombers until they were all shot down". So the state and inventory of the Sudanese Air Force can be described as unknown and uncertain, and will probably remain so at least until the current civil war ends.

Retired

Previous notable aircraft operated were the BAC Jet Provost T55, Douglas C-47, Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II, BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk.90, Shaanxi Y-8, Antonov An-2, Fokker F27 Friendship, Pilatus PC-6 Porter, Shenyang J-2, MBB Bo 105CB-2, Mil Mi-4.

Air defense

! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|Weapon
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Origin
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! style="text-align:center; background:#acc;"|In service
! style="text-align: center; background:#acc;"|Notes

Accidents and incidents

  • Unknown date: A Shaanxi Y-8 of the Sudanese Air Force suffered a runway excursion. The aircraft was destroyed and nobody died.
  • 26 May 1962: A Hunting Jet Provost T51 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. Plane was destroyed and 2 crew members killed.
  • 13 June 1962: A Hunting Jet Provost T51 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. Plane was destroyed.
  • 3 March 1963: Two BAC Jet Provosts of the Sudanese Air Force collided in mid-air. The planes were destroyed and the pilots killed.
  • 10 November 1969: A Fokker F-27 Friendship 400M of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The plane was destroyed and 3 crew died.
  • 11 December 1983: A helicopter of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 11 occupants died.
  • 14 March 1985: A de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 4 persons died.
  • 4 April 1986: A de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed and 7 persons died.
  • 18 May 1986: A Antonov plane of the Sudanese Air Force was hit by a SAM-7 missile fired by the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army. The aircraft was destroyed and 8 persons died. Among the dead was a Sudanese Anglican Bishop, the Rev. John Malow.
  • 11 May 1987: A Lockheed C-130 Hercules of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 5 persons died.
  • 17 November 1988: A Hercules C-130 of the Sudanese Air Force was hit by a missile. The plane was able to land securely. The aircraft received minor damage and nobody died.
  • 9 January 1990: A Antonov An-24TV of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 8 February 1990: A Lockheed C-130H Hercules of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down. The aircraft was destroyed and all occupants died.
  • 25 July 1992: A Lockheed C-130H Hercules of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 5 September 1993: A Mil Mi-8 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 8 occupants died.
  • 3 August 1994: A Agusta-Bell AB 212 of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed.
  • 26 February 1996: A Lockheed C-130H Hercules of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 91 occupants died.
  • 20 March 1996: A Antonov An-26 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 20 March 1997: A Antonov An-24TV of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 4 persons died.
  • 9 December 1997: A MiG-21 of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down. The aircraft was destroyed and 1 person died.
  • 1997: A Antonov An-26 of the Sudanese Air Force was forced to land after being hit by Sudan People's Liberation Army ground fire. The aircraft was destroyed and nobody died.
  • 12 February 1998: A Antonov An-32B of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 26 people died. Among the victims were several government officials and First Vice President al-Zubair Muhammad Saleh.
  • 3 June 1999: A Antonov An-32 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 50 occupants died.
  • 29 November 2000: A Mil Mi helicopter of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. There were no casualties.
  • 4 April 2001: A Antonov An-26 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed, killing Sudan's deputy defense minister and 13 high-ranking military officers. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 13 July 2001: A helicopter of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 2 people died.
  • 11 September 2002: An airplane of the Sudanese Air Force made an emergency landing on a road. Hit a truck, killing 3 in the truck. Airplane occupants uninjured. The condition of the aircraft after incident unknown.
  • 27 September 2002: A helicopter of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and there were no survivors.
  • 24 December 2002: A airplane of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed and 3 people killed.
  • 25 April 2003: A Antonov An-24 of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed. Sudan Liberation Army rebels attacked the city of El Fasher, claiming to have destroyed three Antonov-type planes. One An-24 was confirmed destroyed.
  • 28 October 2003: A suspected Mil Mi-8 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 20 people killed.
  • 9 February 2004: 2 helicopters of the Sudanese Air Force were claimed shot down by rebels. No confirmation.
  • 11 February 2004: A Mil Mi-24 of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by rebels. Aircraft destroyed. A second Mi-24 was also reported hit.
  • 17 October 2004: A Mil Mi-24 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. Aircraft damaged, one person injured.
  • 25 July 2005: A Mil Mi-17 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. Aircraft destroyed, 19 persons killed.
  • 11 February 2006: A Antonov An-26 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed into a building. The aircraft was destroyed and 20 people died.
  • 15 February 2006: A helicopter of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by Sudanese Liberation Army rebels. Aircraft destroyed, only 1 surviving occupant.
  • 14 July 2006: A Antonov An-12 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. Aircraft destroyed.
  • 7 August 2006: A Antonov An-26 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. Aircraft written off.
  • 27 December 2007: A Antonov plane of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by Justice and Equality Movement. Aircraft destroyed.
  • 24 February 2008: A suspected Mil Mi-17 of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed.
  • May 2008: One MiG-29 was shot down by heavy machine gun fire during a CAS mission.
  • 28 March 2010: A pair of suspected Mil Mi-17 helicopters of the Sudanese Air Force were destroyed.
  • 4 May 2010: A helicopter of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. No casualties.
  • 13 April 2011: A Mil Mi-24P Hind-F of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was damaged. 1 killed.
  • 18 April 2011: A Mil Mi-17V-5 (Mi-8M) of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. 5 killed.
  • 30 December 2011: A Mil Mi-24 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. 6 killed.
  • 4 April 2012: A Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29SE of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by South Sudanese anti-air-artillery. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 20 June 2012: A Nanchang PT-6A (CJ-6) of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. 2 killed.
  • 16 July 2012: A Mil Mi-17 (Mi-8T) of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by the Sudanese Revolutionary Front. The aircraft was destroyed. 7 killed.
  • 7 October 2012: A Antonov An-12BP of the Sudanese Air Force, leased for AZZA Transport, crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. 15 killed.
  • 7 November 2012: A Antonov An-24 of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 11 December 2012: A Antonov plane of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 19 December 2012: A Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29SE plane of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 1 person killed.
  • 31 May 2013: A Mil Mi helicopter of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and the whole crew killed.
  • 6 June 2013: A Mil Mi-24 helicopter of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 3 persons killed.
  • 2 May 2014: A UAV of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft received unknown damage, and nobody died.
  • 28 June 2014: A Mil Mi-24P helicopter of the National Congress Party allegedly crashed. The helicopter was allegedly shot down by Sudan's People's Liberation Army-North. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 25 December 2014: A Antonov plane of the Sudanese Air Force allegedly was shot down by rebels. Allegedly the aircraft was destroyed and at least 6 people killed.
  • 27 March 2015: A Sukhoi Su-24 of the Sudanese Air Force was lost over Yemen at the beginning of Operation Decisive Storm. Houthis claimed that they shot down the plane by SA-2 missile. The aircraft was destroyed and nobody died.
  • 30 April 2016: A Antonov An-26 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 5 people killed.
  • 16 October 2016: A MBB Bo 105CB-2 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 1 person killed.
  • 20 June 2017: A Mil Mi-17 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 4 people killed.
  • 27 December 2017: A Nanchang PT-6 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 1 person killed.
  • 12 February 2018: A Antonov An-12BK of the Sudanese Air Force had a runway excursion. The aircraft condition after the incident was unknown; the aircraft was later destroyed on 17 April 2023. No person was injured.
  • 3 March 2018: A Antonov plane of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 17 September 2018: A Mil Mi-17 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. No person was killed.
  • 20 September 2018: A Hongdu K-8S Karakorum of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. 2 persons were killed.
  • 3 October 2018: A Antonov An-32A of the Sudanese Air Force suffered a collision with a Sudan Air Force Antonov An-26. The An-32A aircraft was written off.
  • 3 October 2018: A Antonov An-26 of the Sudanese Air Force suffered a collision with a Sudan Air Force Antonov An-32A. The An-26 aircraft was written off.
  • 9 December 2018: A helicopter of the Sudanese Government crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. At least 7 persons died and several were injured.
  • 13 December 2018: A Mil Mi-17 of the Sudanese Air Force skidded on the runway and got substantially damaged. Nobody was killed.
  • 2 January 2020: A Antonov An-12A of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. 18 people died.
  • 13 January 2021: A Mil Mi-24 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. Nobody died.
  • 3 April 2021: A helicopter of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The level of damage to the aircraft was unknown. Nobody died.
  • 8 September 2021: A Mil Mi-24 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. At least 3 died.
  • 10 March 2022: A airplane of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. Nobody died.
  • 15 April 2023: Multiple MiG-29 airplanes of the Sudanese Air Force were destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at El Obeid Air Base.
  • 15 April 2023: Multiple MiG-29 airplanes of the Sudanese Air Force were destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Merowe Air Base.
  • 15 April 2023: Multiple MiG-29M airplanes of the Egyptian Air Force were damaged/destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Merowe Air Base.
  • 16 April 2023: A Ilyushin Il-62M of the Sudan Government was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 16 April 2023: A Antonov An-72-100D of the Sudan Police Air Wing was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 17 April 2023: A Lockheed C-130 Hercules was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 17 April 2023: A Dassault Falcon 20F of the Government of Sudan was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 17 April 2023: A Antonov An-12BP of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport. This aircraft was involved in a runway excursion on 12 February 2018.
  • 17 April 2023: A Antonov An-12BK of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 17 April 2023: A Antonov An-12BK of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 17 April 2023: A Antonov An-12BK of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 17 April 2023: A Antonov An-26B-100 of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 17 April 2023: A Antonov An-32B of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 17 April 2023: A Antonov An-74-200 of the Government of Sudan was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 17 April 2023: Multiple Mil Mi-24 of the Sudanese Air Force were damaged or destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Jebel Aulia Air Base. Another source says 4 Mi-24 helicopters destroyed at Jebel Aulia Air Base on 15 April 2023.
  • 17 April 2023: A Mil Mi-24 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 17 April 2023: A Guizhou FTC-2000 of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed by Rapid Support Forces at Merowe Air Base.
  • 17 April 2023: 3 Sukhoi Su-25 of the Sudanese Air Force were destroyed by Rapid Support Forces at El Obeid Air Base.
  • 21 April 2023: A Antonov An-12BP of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 21 April 2023: A Antonov An-26 of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 21 April 2023: A Antonov An-26 of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 21 April 2023: A Antonov An-30 of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 21 April 2023: A Antonov An-32B of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed in fighting between Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces at Khartoum International Airport.
  • 24 May 2023: A Guizhou FTC-2000 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed. Nobody died.
  • 2 July 2023: A MiG-29SEh of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed. Nobody died.
  • 4 July 2023: A Guizhou FTC-2000 of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by RSF. The aircraft was destroyed. Nobody died.
  • 21 September 2023: A MiG-29 of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by RSF. The aircraft was destroyed. Nobody died.
  • 2023: In the first months of the civil war, RSF allegedly "shot down many of the Air Force’s remaining jets, including Guizhou FTC-2000 light combat aircraft, Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft, and K-8 jets acquired in a pre-war arms deal with Pakistan" according to Sudan War Monitor.
  • 18 March 2024: A Lockheed C-130H Hercules of the Sudanese Air Force was shot by RSF at or near Wadi Seidna Air Base. The aircraft was damaged. Nobody died.
  • 3 October 2024: A Ilyushin Il-76 was seen destroyed on satellite images on an airstrip near Al-Qurain, West Kordofan state. It might have been a Sudanese Air Force plane.
  • 21 October 2024: A Ilyushin Il-76T, suspected to have belonged to Sudan Government/Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 5 people died.
  • 9 January 2025: A CH-95 drone of the RSF was lost over El Obeid.
  • 23 February 2025: A Ilyushin Il-76TD of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 7 people died.
  • 25 February 2025: A Antonov An-26 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 46 people died, at least 10 were injured.
  • 20 March 2025: A Sukhoi Su-24M of the Sudanese Air Force was destroyed after being bombed by an RSF drone at Wadi Seidna Air Base. The Su-24M aircraft was destroyed.
  • 3 April 2025: A Antonov An-12 of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by RSF near El Fasher. The aircraft was destroyed and 8 people died.
  • 10 July 2025: A Baykar Bayraktar Akinci of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by RSF near El Fasher. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 13 September 2025: A Baykar Bayraktar Akinci of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by RSF. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 7 October 2025: A Baykar Bayraktar Akinci of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by RSF near Al Fashir. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 4 November 2025: A Ilyushin Il-76 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and at least 5 people died.
  • 9 December 2025: A Ilyushin Il-76 of the Sudanese Air Force crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and 10 people died.
  • 11 December 2025: A Baykar Bayraktar TB2 of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by the Rapid Support Forces. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 27 December 2025: A Baykar Bayraktar TB2 of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by the Rapid Support Forces. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • 2024-2025: according to Sudan War Monitor "The Sudanese Air Force’s high-altitude bombers lasted somewhat longer, but sustained losses in 2024-2025, ending a two-year bombing campaign". Also Sudan War Monitor wrote: "... the Ilyushin bombers until they were all shot down".
  • 9 January 2026: A Baykar Bayraktar Akinci of the Sudanese Air Force was shot down by the Rapid Support Forces. The aircraft was destroyed.
  • January 2026: Sudan War Monitor writes: "Our monitoring indicates that the Sudanese military has already lost at least six Bayraktar drones".