The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have deployed what appears to be the Turkish-designed YIHA-III loitering munition against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), marking a new phase in the country’s increasingly drone-centric civil war.
Visual evidence of the YIHA-III, often described as a kamikaze drone, surfaced on June 13, 2026, on defence tracking platforms such as International Defence Analysis. The images confirm that at least a unit was downed in the Kazgeil Axis of North Kordofan State on April 12, 2026. While the RSF claims to have shot the aircraft down with kinetic fire, analysts suggest the wreckage could also indicate a technical crash caused by signal loss or electronic warfare. The wreckage shows the system’s distinctive design, a tubular fuselage built around the chassis of a Roketsan OMTAS medium-range anti-tank missile. This airframe is modified with fixed wings, a tricycle-style landing gear, and a rear-mounted pusher-propeller engine. A nose-mounted, gimbaled electro-optical camera allows SAF operators to conduct real-time target acquisition and manual guidance during the high-speed terminal dive.
The YIHA-III is a high-range, precision-guided tactical system co-developed through Turkish-Pakistani defence initiatives. It is designed for long endurance and can be deployed in large-volume swarm configurations to overwhelm enemy high-value targets. By integrating an anti-tank guided missile warhead, the drone achieves lethality levels usually reserved for heavier platforms.
The primary variant uses a Tandem-Charge High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead. This features a precursor charge to neutralize explosive reactive armor, followed by a main charge capable of penetrating up to 1,000 mm of rolled homogeneous armor. Because the YIHA-III attacks in a steep vertical dive, it strikes the thin roof armor of tanks and armored personnel carriers, bypassing thicker frontal protection.
For missions against non-armored targets, the platform can be fitted with a High-Explosive Fragmentation warhead. This version is intended for use against light infantry, command posts, and logistical supply chains. The integration of these munitions shows a clear SAF effort to modernize its force through low-cost, high-tech airborne threats that challenge traditional ground-based air defences.
The YİHA-3, which has been exported to multiple countries for the past few years, the type has also been seen in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in March 2026, wreckage of YIHA-III drones linked to M23 rebel usage was recovered by armed forces (FARDC).
The arrival of the YIHA-III follows a notable expansion of Turkish unmanned systems in the Sudanese theater. In October 2023, the SAF received its first Bayraktar TB2 medium-altitude drones, with the fleet growing to at least 8 units by late 2024. These platforms have been central to SAF efforts to reclaim parts of Khartoum and target RSF supply convoys in Al-Jazirah State.
The SAF has also introduced the more advanced Baykar Akinci high-altitude long-endurance drone. However, this expansion has faced setbacks. RSF air defences reportedly brought down three Akinci drones between July and September 2025, with losses occurring over North, South, and West Kordofan. Despite these losses, the SAF continues to rely on Turkish technology to offset RSF ground movements.
The deployment of the YIHA-III shows that Ankara’s electronic and unmanned footprint in Africa is growing beyond reconnaissance to specialized strike capabilities. As the SAF continues to integrate these joint Turkish-Pakistani systems, the conflict is expected to move further into the aerial domain. Future operations will likely focus on using these loitering munitions to disable RSF radar sites and forward bases as the military attempts to consolidate its recent territorial gains.
Loitering munitions, also known as kamikaze drones or suicide drones, are an emerging weapon system that has gained popularity in recent years due to their unique capabilities. Loitering munitions are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can hover over an area for an extended period of time, using advanced sensors to identify and track targets. Once a target is located, the loitering munition can then be directed to fly directly into the target, destroying it in a highly precise and targeted manner.
The use of loitering munitions has become increasingly popular in military conflicts around the world, with several countries investing heavily in the development of these systems. One of the main advantages of loitering munitions is their ability to provide enhanced strike capabilities, allowing forces to engage targets with precision and accuracy from long ranges. This makes them an attractive option for African forces that are often faced with asymmetric warfare and have limited resources to devote to expensive and sophisticated weapon systems.
In 2023, Sudanese armed forces begun operating improvised kamikaze drones, mostly based on commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) UAVs. The drones appear to be FPV quadcopter-type drones. The kamikaze drones were used against forces of the Rapid Support Force (RSF). In June, Sudan’s military began an offensive against the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF). This offensive aims to retake key areas that were under the control of the RSF, a powerful and controversial paramilitary group in the country.