Port Sudan – OnePress
Recent videos and field photos revealed the emergence of the Chinese FK-2000 air defense system truck within the areas of deployment of the Rapid Support Militia in the axis of Kordofan, in a remarkable military development that comes in conjunction with field mobilizations and movements towards the city of al-Abyad.
This is the first direct visual evidence of the continued presence of the system within the Sudanese theatre of operations, months after the Sudanese army announced the destruction of a similar system during military operations in Darfur.
The rolling sections showed a clear match between the field truck and the truck carrying the Chinese FK-2000 system, both in terms of the design of the armored structure, the number of axles, the shape of the front and the engineering structure of the vehicle carrying the system.
A system designed to counter aviation and drones
The FK-2000 is a short-range air defense system developed by China to secure ground forces and critical installations against aircraft, helicopters, drones and guided munitions.
The system combines guided missiles, fast guns and monitoring and tracking systems, making it one of the most dangerous field air defense systems capable of accompanying mobile forces on the battlefield.
Why does the Rapid Support Militia need it?
The emergence of the system comes at a time when air superiority has become one of the most important elements of the war in Sudan, where the army has increasingly relied on warplanes and drones to carry out reconnaissance and targeting operations.
Operating the FK-2000 gives the Rapid Support Militia a greater ability to protect military columns, command posts, and supply depots, as well as reduce the effectiveness of drones that have played a pivotal role in combat over the past two years.
Significance of Appearance in Kordofan
Observers believe that the timing of the emergence of the system in Kordofan is not a passing event, but directly related to the ongoing military movements around El Obeid and the areas of contact in the region.
The presence of a mobile air defense system provides cover for ground forces during crowding and maneuvering operations, and reduces the risk of aerial targeting, especially in open areas that lack natural cover.
After the destruction of the first system
The Sudanese army’s announcement in February 2026 that a similar system had been destroyed did not prevent another system from emerging on the ground, suggesting that the RSF’s air defense capabilities had not been fully depleted and that the system had returned to the theater of operations at an extremely sensitive time.
This reflects the continuation of the arms race between the parties to the conflict, and the gradual transition of confrontation from reliance on conventional weapons to the employment of more sophisticated and influential systems in the field.
Executive summary
The emergence of the FK-2000 system in Kordofan represents an important military development that may have direct repercussions on the nature of air operations in the region in the coming period. If fully operational, the system would give the RSF one of the most important field air defense tools capable of countering low-altitude drones and flying, potentially imposing new battlefield equations.
Written by: Awadullah Nawai
Director of OnePress Agency for Investigative Journalism and Media