Sudan flexes its military might at Idex
abu dhabi — Once largely dependent on foreign assistance for its armed forces, Sudan has rapidly emerged as a major weapons producer vying to become a significant player in the global arms trade.
Through its state-owned defence company — the Military Industry Corporation (MIC) — Sudan has emerged as owner of the largest weapons producers in Africa, after Egypt and South Africa.
Although Sudanese arms production began in the early 1960s with the establishment of the Al Shaggara ammunition plant under the administration of President Ibrahim Abboud, the country started becoming militarily self-sufficient in 1993, when the MIC was established.
According to MIC directorspokesman Ali Osman Mahmoud, the country’s military industry was forced to become fully self-sustaining in the years after Sudan was hit by an international arms embargo in the early 1990s.
“It was at this time that the high leadership of the country had to adopt this strategy, led by the Salvation,” he said, referring to the government of Omar Al Bashir that came into power in 1989.
At Idex, the country offers a full gamut of military products, ranging from boots, tents and night-vision goggles to rocket launchers, armoured vehicles, self-propelled artillery systems, explosives, guided bombs and even ships.
According to Mahmoud, the country’s display at Idex represents a significant increase in Sudan’s military offerings since the last exhibition in 2015.
“We have launched over 35 new products, including a fast boat designed for interception, two new types of armoured personnel carriers, a new type of self-propelled 122-mm howitzer, and a guided smart bomb,” he said.
A major selling point of Sudan’s domestically-produced weapons, Mahmoud noted, is that all of them have already been used operationally at home, many of them in combat. Mahmoud noted that the country is specifically marketing its weapons to customers in the Arab World.
“This is the region we are targeting. We are aiming to manufacture these products specifically for the environment of the Middle East,” he said. “Many of the systems are particularly well-suited to desert environments, for example.”
Notably, Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir was in attendance at the opening ceremony.