القوّات الجوّيّة السودانيّة / Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya As-Sudaniya - Sudanese Air Force

       Credit:  Roundels of the world

                                        Last update 22-11-2012



 
    Unofficial discussions between Sudan and Northrop regarding the possible acquisition of Northrop F-5 took already 1974, but were discouraged by theUSA
    government due to the Sudanese pro Soviet Union policy.
    The Sudanese AF was supplied with aircrafts in the early '70s by the Soviet Union; this changed following a failed coup attempt in July 1976 and the expulsion
    of all Soviet military advisors in May 1977.

    Following a first official request for 24 Tigers (12 to be urgently delivered) in October 1976, an US military team visited Karthoum in August 1977 but the
    request was at first rejected by the US government due to political reasons.
    It was finally in 1980 that it agreed to supply 10 Northrop F-5E and 2 F-5F for the value of USD 46m on a loan basis, with very favourable terms. Out
    of these only 2 double-seaters (during October 1982) and 2 single-seaters    (during June 1984) are confirmed to have been delivered.



                  
       Northrop F-5F 201 seen at Buckley ANG on 12-10-82.     Photo: John A. Sheets                                Northrop F-5E 206 and 208 at Nice on their delivery flight 13-06-84.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Photo: Collection The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast

The double-seaters enabled in-country training under the supervision of an USAF Mobile Training Team, but aircrafts survived only for a short time the local harsh environment: 1 double-seater crashed during a
parade on 23-06-84 near Juba, 2 single-seaters before October 1985.

The only remaing Northrop F-5F was turned over to Jordan in exchange for ammunition for the Sudanese Army.

Pro-western attitude changed in 1985 with the political opening to Lybia, bringing military aid from this country, but ending US support and further F-5 deliveries.