Chad has confirmed the receipt of two Chinese-made FK-2000 air defense systems from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), delivered as part of ongoing “military support.”
The FK-2000, a short-range surface-to-air missile system developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, is designed to engage a variety of aerial targets, including aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Often compared to Russia’s Pantsir-S, this mobile system is mounted on a truck platform, combining 12 surface-to-air missiles and two automatic cannons for close-in air defense. It boasts a range of 1.2 to 25 kilometers and an altitude coverage of up to 12 kilometers, with radar enabling target detection in various weather conditions.
The delivery also included 64 missiles and 6,000 rounds of 30mm ammunition, significantly enhancing Chad’s defensive capabilities. Chad’s defense ministry emphasized that it will not transfer the equipment without Beijing’s authorization, meaning it intends to keep the system until China intervenes.
This transfer occurs against the backdrop of the UAE’s controversial involvement in the Sudan conflict, where the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been clashing with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for over 18 months.
In December 2023, the UAE pledged to halt arms shipments to the RSF following pressure from the United States, a commitment communicated by White House Coordinator Brett McGurk to US senators. This followed legislative efforts by Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representative Sara Jacobs to block US arms sales to the UAE unless it could be verified that weapons were not reaching the RSF.
McGurk assured that the UAE was not currently transferring arms to the RSF and would refrain from doing so, with an updated compliance assessment promised by January 17, 2025. However, evidence suggests otherwise, with the Sudanese army and UN experts accusing the UAE of arming the RSF through networks in neighboring countries, including Chad, Libya, and others, often disguising shipments as humanitarian aid.
The timing of the FK-2000 delivery is notable, as the SAF has recently achieved significant victories, including recapturing Khartoum from the RSF. The RSF, while strong on the ground, has historically lacked robust air defense, making it vulnerable to the SAF’s diverse drone and aircraft capabilities. Although, the RSF has shot down Sudan’s military drones and aircraft beforehand. Sudan fields a very diverse range of drones including the Turkish Bayraktar TB2, which has been instrumental in it recent rapid gains on the battlefield, hence the UAE needed to bolster the RSF anti-air capacity.
The FK-2000, with its ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously and its FK-3000 variant tailored to counter UAVs like kamikaze drones (albeit with a shorter 12-kilometer range), could potentially shift this dynamic if diverted to the RSF. The system’s mobility allows for rapid deployment and firing on the move, making it versatile for both static defense and field operations.
Given the UAE’s history of using Chad as a transit point for arms to Sudan, concerns persist about the equipment’s ultimate destination, despite Chad’s assurances. Similarly, the UAE operated Russian-made Pantsirs S1 air defence systems in support of Khalifa Haftar, during the civil war.
This is not the first instance of Chad intercepting military equipment linked to the Sudan conflict. In June 2024, a joint Chad-Sudan force seized a substantial weapons cache, including 296 firearms, two RPGs, and 17 pistols, en route to Lake Chad, highlighting the challenges of controlling arms flows in the region.
The UAE’s continued support to Chad, despite its pledge to cease arming the RSF, fuels skepticism about its intentions. Abu Dhabi has denied supporting RSF leader Hemedti, but its role in the war is widely regarded as an “open secret.”
The delivery of the FK-2000 systems risks escalating the Sudan conflict, particularly as the SAF presses its advantage.
As the situation unfolds, the presence of advanced air defense systems in Chad raises critical questions about their use and the broader implications for regional balance of power, particularly as Chad is currently modernising it’s military power.
