Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA, serving within the Sudanese Army, hit the Chinese-made FK-2000 air defense system belonging to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
While the conflicts between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue in Sudan, another remarkable operation carried out by Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA came from the field.
According to the images shared on September 9, 2026, AKINCI, used by the Sudanese Army, targeted the Chinese-made FK-2000 air defense system in the hands of RSF. In the images, it is seen that the ammunition fired by AKINCI had a direct effect on the system and the FK-2000 was destroyed.
The type of ammunition used in the operation is not precisely disclosed in available sources. While Defense IndustryST stated that the ammunition was produced by ROKETSAN, it evaluated that the ammunition used in the previous FK-2000 operation could be MAM-L or MAM-T.
What kind of air defense system is FK-2000?
FK-2000 stands out as a wheeled short-range air defense system developed by China.
The system has an integrated air defense architecture that combines missiles and anti-aircraft guns on an 8×8 wheeled vehicle. According to the technical data provided by Savunma SanayiST, the engagement range of the FK-2000 varies between approximately 1.2 and 25 kilometers.
The main task of systems in this class is; Protecting troops and critical facilities against UAVs, cruise missiles and other aerial targets flying at low altitude.
Therefore, AKINCI's targeting and destruction of such a system draws attention as a mission to neutralize air defense systems, rather than just hitting a land target.
AKINCI had shot FK-2000 before
This is not AKINCI's first operation against FK-2000 in Sudan.
In February 2026, it was reported that the Sudanese Army's AKINCI neutralized an FK-2000 system used by the RSF with ROKETSAN ammunition. It was evaluated that the ammunition used in that operation could be MAM-L and MAM-T, based on damage images.
With the new attack, it appears that AKINCI has been used again against the same air defense system family in Sudan.
This situation can be considered as one of the examples showing that unmanned aerial vehicles can be used not only in classical attack missions, but also in SEAD/DEAD missions against enemy air defense elements.
UAV concept hunting air defense system
AKINCI's shooting down of the FK-2000 also reveals the changing role of UAVs in the modern battlefield.
Traditionally, missions to suppress or destroy air defense systems were carried out by warplanes, electronic warfare platforms and special mission munitions. However, UAVs, which can operate for long periods at high altitudes and be equipped with electro-optical sensors and different ammunition, constitute a new option in these missions.
In particular, determining the position of the air defense system, selecting the appropriate ammunition and carrying out attacks from long range; It can allow the unmanned platform to intervene in the target while preserving its own survivability.
However, it is not possible to draw a definitive conclusion from a single operational image about which sensor or electronic warfare capability AKINCI used to detect targets against the FK-2000.
Sudan became the real battlefield for AKINCI
AKINCI's operations in Sudan increase the number of examples where the platform's different mission concepts are used in real conflict environments.
In May 2026, it was reported that the Sudanese Army's AKINCI hit an air platform belonging to the RSF with the ROKETSAN-produced EREN missile. Thus, examples emerged of AKINCI being used against both land and air targets in Sudan.
The FK-2000 attack adds another dimension to this picture: operations in which AKINCI directly targets the elements of the air defense architecture.
Such missions show that UAVs can be used in reconnaissance-surveillance and precision attack as well as more complex air operation concepts in the future.
