Africa • The Defense Post

Oct- 2026 -

12 October

PAC JF-17 Thunder multirole combat aircraft, a fighter jet made in China and Pakistan. The Pakistani plane is painted with the country's flag as it belongs to Pakistan Air Force. The aircraft performed a flight demo, flying demonstration at the 53rd Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport in France on June 2019. The advanced and sophisticated fighter jet is developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto) (Photo by Nicolas Economou / NurPhoto via AFP)

Somalia Nears JF-17 Jet Purchase From Pakistan

Somalia has reportedly reached an agreement with Pakistan to acquire JF-17 Thunder lightweight supersonic combat aircraft, though neither government has officially confirmed a final contract.

9 October

Men sit and lie outside tents and shelters pitched at the Hasahisa secondary school on July 10, 2023, which has been made into a make-shift camp to house the internally displaced fleeing violence in war-torn Sudan

Giulia Bernacchi

UN Renews Darfur Arms Embargo as Sudan-Wide Expansion Stalls

The UN Security Council extended sanctions on Sudan’s Darfur region for two months after Russia and China opposed a nationwide arms embargo.

7 October

A Moroccan Royal Armed Forces HET carries a U.S. Army M1A3 Abrams Tank from the 1-12 Cavalry Squadron, 1st Cavalry Division as Moroccan soldiers ensure the vehicle is properly secured and prepared for movement at the Port of Agadir, June 3, 2022, Agadir, Morocco. African Lion 2022 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia, June 6 - 30. More than 7,500 participants from 28 nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL22 is a joint all-domain, multi-component and multinational exercise, employing a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Donald Franklin)

Rojoef Manuel

Morocco Orders Additional Military Transporters From Oshkosh Defense

Wisconsin-based tactical mobility developer Oshkosh Defense has received a second direct order to provide military trucks for the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces.

7 October

Rojoef Manuel

Rwanda Opens Health Sciences College to Advance Military Medicine

Rwandan Defense Minister Juvenal Marizamunda officially launched the inaugural cohort of the Defence College of Health Sciences at the Rwanda Military Academy in Gako, Eastern Province.

7 October

Christine Casimiro

Morocco’s First F-16 Block 72 Fighter Takes Maiden Flight

The Royal Moroccan Air Force’s first F-16 Block 72 aircraft has completed its maiden flight as it undergoes flight testing ahead of delivery to the North African country.

5 October

Ethan M. Encarnacion

Morocco’s GPS-Free Drone Employs ‘Super Agent’ to Navigate, Strike Targets

Morocco has unveiled the first prototype of a new autonomous drone that uses a crew of AI agents to navigate without GPS.

2 October

Giulia Bernacchi

Over 3,300 Civilian Casualties in US Airstrikes in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Somalia

US airstrikes and operations killed or wounded at least 3,336 civilians in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Somalia between 2007 and May 2025.

1 October

Giulia Bernacchi

Amnesty Accuses Malian Forces, Wagner of War Crimes Against Civilians

Malian troops and personnel from Russia’s Wagner Group have killed and tortured civilians during joint operations, Amnesty International said.

Sep- 2026 -

29 September

Some soldiers of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces after finishing their training in the field of Dabat, 70 kilometres north-east of the city of Gondar, Ethiopia

Giulia Bernacchi

Ethiopia Accuses Neighbors of Backing Tigray Fighters as Clashes Spread

Ethiopia accused Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of supporting armed groups fighting federal forces, as clashes with Tigrayan fighters intensify.

28 September

Ethan M. Encarnacion

South Africa Evolves N-Raven Into an Eight-Hour VTOL Recon Drone

A South African defense firm has reworked its N-Raven loitering munition concept into a vertical takeoff and landing drone, giving operators a reusable aircraft for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.

Trends Shaping the Defense World

JOIN 100,000+ FOR DEFENSE NEWS, TRENDS & INSIGHTS