RSF claim ‘Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı drone downed over South Darfur capital’

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claim to have shot down a Turkish-made Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı drone over the South Darfur capital of Nyala, while sources loyal to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) confirmed that the drone bombed targets in the city.

Mohammed Hashem Abu El Zaki, director of the Baladna organisation, told Radio Dabanga that they heard a huge explosion in Nyala at 21:00, noting that there was no damage or loss of life, adding that the sound of the explosion was heard in the direction of the El Wadi neighbourhood.

Another caller says that the drone was shot down in the city centre near the Ministry of Urban Planning, describing the situation in the city as calm and normal.

Platforms affiliated with the RSF published a video showing a luminous object in the sky and said that it documents the moment the drone was shot down but did not publish additional photos or clips to substantiate this.

The SAF could not immediately be reached for comment, while the army has consistently declined to comment on similar incidents.

‘Third drone downed’

This is the third time that the RSF have announced the downing of a Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı drone, as it announced last July that it had shot down a drone in El Fasher, and in June it announced the downing of another in Nyala. It had also previously claimed to have downed aircraft in Malha and Nyala.

Since the end of last year, the Sudanese army has received a number of Turkish Bayraktar drones, which played a major role in the battles in Khartoum, while the RSF have received Chinese strategic drones that they use in fighting in El Fasher on an almost daily basis. The Washington Post reported that the army had received six Bayraktar TB2 drones.

Specifications of the drones

The Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı drone has a price tag of about $30 million, while Bayraktar TB2 has a price tag of about $4.5 million.

According to the French newspaper Le Parisien, the Bayraktar TB2 is designed as a medium-altitude and long-range tactical drone, characterised by its ability to carry out reconnaissance, surveillance and armed attack missions with high accuracy. It can fly for more than 20 hours continuously at an altitude of up to 27,000 feet, is operated from ground control stations, and is equipped with an instant image transmission system that allows for real-time strikes.

The drone has proven effective in several conflict zones such as Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine, where it has sometimes been described as a “nightmare” for its opponents. Defence and security adviser Seni Ozakarasaheen said that “Bayraktar has proven its worth in completely different environments, from Libya to Ukraine as well as in Nagorno-Karabakh”. The British newspaper The Guardian described it as “the decisive game-changer” in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The drone has a maximum take-off weight of more than 5.5 tons, of which more than 1,350 kg is payload. It is equipped with two turboprops of 450 horsepower each, electronic support systems, electronic warfare, satellite communications, and advanced radars. It has a wingspan of 20 meters with a unique curved design and can fly up to an altitude of 12,192 meters and stay in the air for more than 25 hours. It can also carry a variety of weapons.

Anti-aircraft systems

Pro-army sources indicate that the RSF has deployed a highly efficient anti-aircraft system in Nyala. Jakud Makwar, deputy head of the SPLM-N, had earlier claimed the arrival of anti-aircraft aircraft in Darfur, confirming that they would soon reach the areas controlled by the movement. Satellite imagery also showed the presence of a sophisticated air defence system at Nyala airport.