RSF drone strikes escalate in Port Sudan; evidence of Chinese-made munitions
8 May 2025
An Ayin investigation suggests the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces used Chinese-manufactured drones in the recent bombardment of Port Sudan, the army-controlled eastern city. The ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has witnessed a series of coordinated aerial attacks targeting strategic infrastructure in Port Sudan for four consecutive days.
These strikes have hit critical sites, including the Port Sudan International Airport, the Flamingo military base, the Coral Hotel, strategic fuel reserve tanks, and sections of the commercial port—turning what was once a stable logistical hub into a new frontline in Sudan’s widening conflict.
Once the country’s primary economic trade lifeline, Port Sudan became the de facto administrative capital for the SAF following the near-total destruction of Khartoum in the early months of the war. Its transformation into a military and logistical stronghold has made it a high-value target in the eyes of the RSF, which has increasingly turned to unmanned aerial warfare to strike behind enemy lines.
What happened in Port Sudan?
The first strike, on Saturday morning, targeted a military base within the international airport compound. Witnesses reported a loud explosion and smoke rising from the tarmac, briefly halting the airport’s already limited operations. The airport, the last functioning gateway for air traffic into and out of Sudan, suffered minor structural damage but resumed limited operations within hours. The following day, another drone strike hit the city’s main fuel reserve tanks. Satellite imagery and verified local videos showed columns of black smoke rising from the storage area, with firefighters struggling to contain the blaze for several hours. Fuel shortages in the city quickly worsened following the attack, local residents told Ayin, prompting fears of a larger logistical crisis.
On Monday, a third attack and the most sophisticated strike hit the Coral Marina Hotel, a known residence for foreign diplomats and aid workers. Forensic analysis of munition debris indicates the likely use of a NORINCO GB-25A glide bomb, a precision-guided weapon typically launched by drones. The attack caused significant damage to the hotel’s façade but resulted in no confirmed casualties. According to a senior source who requested anonymity, the Coral Marina Hotel was the permanent residence of the Sudanese Army’s Deputy Commander Shams El Din Kabbashi, but he was moved from it shortly before it was targeted by a missile last week. Another attack targeted Port Sudan’s harbour on the same day.
On Tuesday, the fifth attack struck the Flamingo Military Base shortly after dawn prayers. Footage reviewed by Ayin shows large flames engulfing parts of the compound. Military sources confirmed the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and claimed the strike caused injuries among personnel stationed at the base.
Sudan-UAE tensions
Sudan’s army-controlled, de facto government in Port Sudan has blamed the RSF and their foreign backers, the UAE, for the attacks. In a televised statement, the Security and Defence Council of the de facto government in Port Sudan officially declared the United Arab Emirates (UAE) an “enemy state” after the wave of drone strikes. This statement was echoed by Sudan’s de facto ministry of foreign affairs.
In turn, the UAE’s foreign affairs ministry questioned the legitimacy of the army-controlled government in Port Sudan, saying that the authorities do not “represent the legitimate government of Sudan and its honourable people.” On Tuesday, the RSF denied responsibility for the drone strikes and called for a comprehensive political solution to end the war.
Based on an open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigation of the drone strikes in Port Sudan done in collaboration with OSINT specialist Faisal El-Sheikh, research suggests RSF involvement in the drone strikes, despite their official denial.
Use of Chinese-manufactured drones
Preliminary findings indicate the use of various air-to-surface precision-guided munitions in Port Sudan and surrounding areas. Among them are munitions from China’s NORINCO GB series and the FT series. The same weapon types have previously been documented in RSF-linked operations near El Fasher in North Darfur and in Kassala, indicating a pattern of use across multiple fronts.
A video aired by Al Arabiya News captured the aftermath of the strike on Port Sudan Coral Marina hotel. The debris in the video closely resembles components of China’s NORINCO guided bomb GB series, likely the GB-25A variant (a variant due to the visible cruciform wing tail assembly). This series uses a small, precision-guided aerial munition designed for drone deployment.
According to military experts, the bombs are equipped with advanced guidance systems, including satellite navigation, enabling high-precision targeting over expanded ranges. The use of such a munition suggests a significant level of tactical sophistication and access to advanced weapons technology, reinforcing concerns about foreign-supplied capabilities in Sudan’s escalating conflict.
A pattern of drone strikes
The attacks on Port Sudan have a striking resemblance to earlier RSF drone attacks in other parts of the country, namely El Fasher, Al-Maha, and Kassala. Despite the RSF’s public denial, the technical signatures of the weapons, debris analysis, and the RSF’s established pattern of drone warfare all point to its direct involvement in these highly coordinated and destructive strikes.
The incident on 1 December 2024 provided the first clear indicator of RSF deployment of Chinese-made drones, likely from the CH-95 or FH-95 class. Supporting this assessment, a Facebook postdated 20 March 2025 featured what appeared to be footage from an active drone mission, with visual markers consistent with Chinese tactical drone systems.
Combined with the type of munitions deployed—identical to those seen in prior RSF operations—and corroborated by historical OSINT tracking of RSF drone activity, the evidence strongly suggests that the RSF is operating Chinese-manufactured drones in its aerial campaign across Sudan.
Ayin reached out to the RSF for comments, but no response was received by the time of publication.
Breakdown of RSF drone strikes
Kassala Airport attack (3 May 2025)
Debris recovered from the missile strike on Kassala airport closely matches components of the Chinese NORINCO GB series of guided glib bombs—specifically consistent with those identified in the recent Port Sudan attacks.
Al-Malha attack (10 March 2025):
In a prolonged drone assault on Al-Malha, debris found on the ground closely matched the design and components of the Chinese-manufactured GB series of guided glide bombs.
El Fasher attack (16 December 2024):
Remnants from an earlier attack on El Fasher revealed fragments consistent with the FT series, most likely the FT-8D—a Chinese-made anti-armour guided bomb that uses GPS and laser homing for high-accuracy targeting.
Continued use of FT series (1 December 2024):
Further images shared on RSF-linked social media channels show a crashed unmanned aerial vehicle and identifiable FT-series debris, again likely the FT-8D. The presence of these munitions in multiple regions suggests a broader integration of the FT series into RSF’s drone warfare strategy, reinforcing the possibility that the group is The military is systematically incorporating advanced drone technology and foreign-sourced precision munitions into its operations.