Fueling the Fire: How Pakistan’s Arms Deliveries to Sudan Resonate from the Red Sea to Balochistan

The recent arrival and first public sighting of 100 Pakistani-made Mohafiz-V armored vehicles during a military parade in Khartoum marks a significant operational shift in Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict. The Pakistani-supplied armored vehicles were paraded by Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and reported by Sudan Tribune, Pakistan and Indian media and other international outlets. 

Delivered in successive batches to the SAF these light armored personnel carriers form the visible edge of a reported USD1.5 billion defense arrangement between Port Sudan and Islamabad. Manufactured by state-owned Heavy Industries Taxila and Pakistan Ordnance Factories on modified Toyota Land Cruiser LC79 chassis, the Mohafiz-V is equipped with B6/B7 ballistic protection, eight firing ports, a 360-degree rotating turret, and run-flat capabilities. Designed specifically for high mobility across harsh, semi-arid terrains like Kordofan and Darfur, the vehicles provide SAF infantry and supply convoys with a crucial tactical counter to the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) reliance on open-top, highly maneuverable four-wheel-drive technicals.

Beyond ground mobility, the broader supply package introduces advanced aerial and surveillance capabilities aimed at altering the battlefield dynamic. Intelligence assessments and regional media reports indicate the inclusion of Shahpar-2 tactical reconnaissance and attack drones, Yaya-3 suicide loitering munitions, spare parts for joint Sino-Pakistani K-8 Karakorum light-attack aircraft, and Chinese-origin air defense platforms. Historically reliant on a mixed inventory of Soviet-era jets, domestic Sarsar armored units, and Iranian Mohajer drones, the SAF’s new acquisitions represent an aggressive effort to rebuild its conventional military advantage. However, the execution of this massive defense package remains tied to complex third-party financial channels. Reports highlighting financial recalibrations by regional sponsors, notably Saudi Arabia and Qatar, recently prompted SAF Commander Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to engage in high-level diplomatic outreach in Riyadh to secure funding flows and prevent delivery delays.

The international ripple effects of this deal extend well beyond Sudan’s immediate borders, drawing sharp strategic scrutiny from India. Indian intelligence sources cite deep concern over Pakistan expanding its military footprint near critical maritime lines of communication in the Red Sea and broader Indian Ocean. Indian strategists warn that operationalizing platforms like the Shahpar-2 and Yaya-3 alongside Chinese guidance technologies in an active war zone grants Islamabad valuable real-world combat data. Furthermore, funneling advanced loitering munitions, surveillance gear, and armored units into an unstable, multi-faction conflict significantly heightens the risk of technology leakage and arms proliferation to non-state actors or proxy networks operating throughout the region.

Domestically, the defense export strategy has ignited intense political backlash inside Pakistan, particularly among opposition and regional organizations. The Baloch People’s Congress and allied political groups have publicly criticized the arms deal, highlighting the stark contradiction of supplying military hardware to a nation mired in a devastating humanitarian crisis that has displaced millions. More critically, Baloch leadership fears that foreign currency revenues generated from the USD1.5 billion transaction—processed outside conventional international financial oversight—will be directly reinvested into the Pakistani defense establishment. Opponents warn these funds will ultimately expand state capacity to finance internal security and counter-insurgency operations across Balochistan, Sindh, and Pashtun territories.

For Ethiopia and neighboring Horn of Africa states, the continuous influx of foreign weaponry into Sudan guarantees prolonged regional instability. As external patrons prioritize geopolitical leverage and defense export revenues over peace, battlefield deliveries continue to outpace diplomatic initiatives. The ongoing militarization around Port Sudan threatens commerce along the Red Sea, driving up shipping insurance costs and disrupting trade routes vital to the wider East African economy. Moreover, the flood of heavy armor, drones, and small arms raises long-term security threats along shared borders near Fashaga and Benishangul-Gumuz, ensuring that the human and economic costs of Sudan’s proxy-fueled war will be felt across the entire region for years to come.

Any external country or organization supplying military hardware to Sudan warring forces, is undermining international peace efforts, and is actively fueling the ongoing civil war, deepening Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe. 

(Natnael Gecho is a researcher and investigative journalist.)