Periscope Depth 4/20/2023

Army, Paramilitaries Fight For Power In Sudan
Julian Lark

On April 15, fighting broke out between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). During initial clashes in the capital, Khartoum, the RSF claimed to have seized the presidential palace, army chief’s residence, state television station and the airports in Khartoum, Merowe, El Fasher and West Darfur state. The Sudanese military rejected the claims.

The military’s response has included artillery and airstrikes, including attacks on RSF targets in Khartoum, Omdurman and Bahri. Fighting was also reported in Port Sudan. As of Tuesday, at least 270 people had been killed and 2,600 injured. Civilian aircraft at the airport in Khartoum have been grounded and come under fire. A U.N. aircraft at the airport was reported destroyed.

Three World Food Program employees were killed in the crossfire at a Sudanese military base in Kabkabiya in North Darfur state.

There have been reports of widespread looting and sexual violence. The capital has also experienced electricity shortages.

The causes of the latest fighting have been attributed to the competition for power between the Sudanese armed forces and RSF. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has ruled Sudan since overthrowing a civilian, transitional government in 2021 with the assistance of the RSF...

U.S. Boosts Taiwanese Capabilities
Aja Melville

The U.S. continues to step up defense equipment support for Taiwan with recent reports that Washington is selling advanced air defense systems to Taipei. On April 15, the Taipei Times reported that an unnamed source said that the U.S. would sell four National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to Taiwan. It was not immediately clear if the procurement would be paid through U.S. loans or grants for military equipment purchases, the source said. Delivery is expected in 2024.

The system consists of an MPQ-64 Sentinel radar; launchers that can fire medium-range AIM-120 AMRAAM and short-range AIM-9 Sidewinder and IRIS-T surface-to-air missiles, among others; and the Link 16 data link. It can integrate with existing air defense systems, including the indigenous Tien Chien II and U.S.-made Avenger.

The NASAMS would be deployed to defend key sites, including air bases and government sites in Taipei, said the source.

The U.S. has increased military cooperation with Taiwan in the last several years in response to increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region and threats against Taiwanese sovereignty. This has included upgrades for 144 Taiwanese F-16A/B fighters to bring them to the latest F-16V configuration; 66 new-build F-16Vs; and 108 new M1A2T Abrams tanks...

Canada Debates Its Submarine Capability
Tom Freebairn

The Royal Canadian Navy has begun pushing for the acquisition of new submarines as the end of the service life of its Victoria-class boats in the mid-2030s approaches. The service established the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) in July 2021 to examine conventional submarine options that might meet Canadian requirements, according to defense officials. The service is also pushing for the procurement to be included in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s upcoming Defense Policy Update.

The proposed acquisition of 12 conventional submarines could cost around Can$60 billion (US$44.7 billion), with other estimates as high as Can$100 billion (US$60 billion) over the life of the program. The high cost of such a purchase and the proposed tripling of the Canadian submarine fleet has some skeptical of its feasibility.

Canada has a track record of ballooning costs in its major defense procurement programs. The Canadian Surface Combatant program to replace aging Halifax-class frigates and three retired Iroquois-class destroyers has doubled in cost from Can$25 billion (US$19.5 billion) to more than Can$80 billion (US$59.8 billion), making it the most expensive defense program in Canadian history. The rising costs have the government reconsidering the number of warships to be acquired.

Another hurdle is ongoing personnel shortages in the navy, with 1,400 vacant billets, about 17 percent of the total. As a result, less-experienced personnel have been fast-tracked into more senior roles and some posts have been cut altogether. In this climate of overbudget projects and personnel shortages, Ottawa may not be inclined to add another ambitious program to its slate...

To read the rest of the newsletter, please click here.