The Sudanese army received around 100 Pakistani-made armored vehicles last month, military sources said, marking the first reported delivery under a major weapons agreement previously linked to Pakistan.
The shipment included Mohafiz armored vehicles designed to transport troops and protect military convoys in combat zones, two officers told Sudan Tribune.
The Sudan Times previously reported that Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had agreed to a weapons package with Pakistan valued at about $1.5 billion. The reported deal included Mohafiz armored vehicles, Shahpar drones, K-8 aircraft and other military equipment.
The latest disclosures suggest that equipment covered by the agreement has now begun arriving in Sudan as the army seeks to expand its capabilities in the war against the Rapid Support Forces.
Military sources said the Mohafiz vehicles were delivered in several batches and would support army operations in Kordofan and Darfur, where difficult terrain and long supply routes have complicated ground movements.
The Pakistani-manufactured vehicle is lighter and faster than many traditional armored personnel carriers, allowing troops to move, deploy and withdraw more quickly.
The officers said the Mohafiz provides B6/B7 ballistic protection against small-arms fire, heavier rifle rounds and shell fragments.
It is expected to be used to protect infantry units, supply convoys and troops conducting assaults or clearance operations in towns and along roads linking Sudanese states.
The army also reportedly received reconnaissance and attack drones through separate agreements, including aircraft from Pakistan’s Shahpar family of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Shahpar platform was developed by Pakistan’s Global Industrial and Defence Solutions in cooperation with the National Engineering and Scientific Commission.
The reported package also included spare parts for K-8 training and light-attack aircraft already operated by the Sudanese army.
The K-8, also known as the Karakoram-8 or JL-8, is a two-seat jet jointly developed by China and Pakistan for advanced training and limited combat operations.
The new deliveries would add to the army’s existing fleet of locally produced armored vehicles, Su-25 ground-attack aircraft, Mi-24 and Mi-17 helicopters, K-8 jets and Iranian-made Mohajer drones.
Military analysts said the Mohafiz could help counter the RSF’s reliance on fast-moving, lightly protected four-wheel-drive vehicles.
The armored vehicles may provide army troops with greater protection during urban assaults and movements along roads where RSF units have repeatedly carried out ambushes and drone attacks.
Earlier reports suggested that Saudi Arabia had withdrawn from financing an arms deal for the Sudanese army, although neither Riyadh nor the Port Sudan authorities publicly confirmed those claims.
The Sudanese army has not officially announced the arrival of the Pakistani vehicles or disclosed the terms of the reported weapons agreement.
