Sudan deploys Russian-made aircraft against rebels in Darfour
CAIRO — Sudan has been absorbing a range of Russian military
aircraft and putting it to use in fighting off rebels in Darfour.
Industry sources said the Sudanese Air Force has been deploying Russian
fixed- and rotary-wing platforms for conventional warfare and
counter-insurgency operations.
Sudan has received four Mi-35 attack helicopters from Moscow. The
sources said the air force has been operating the helicopters in attacks on
rebels in the Darfour province since late 2009.
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The biggest project included the arrival of the Su-25 Frogfoot
fighter-jet from Russia. The sources said Sudan introduced eight Su-25s,
deployed at the Wadi Seidna Air Base, for operational service during 2009.
"Many of these aircraft have already been used, particularly in
Darfour," an industry source said.
The sources said Sudan planned to receive additional Russian aircraft in
2010. They said this could include the MiG-29 fighter-jet, a contract of
which was signed in November 2008.
Sudan has accumulated a fleet of 12 MiG-29s. They include 10 MiG-29SEs
as well as two MiG-29UBs, all of them delivered in 2004.
The sources said the new aircraft arrived in
Sudan during 2009 amid an effort by the Khartoum regime to deter such
neighbors as Chad and Libya.