BRM-1 guided systems are set to equip three Wing Loong attack drones. Kinshasa hopes to receive the first aircraft by the end of the year.
A few days after the fall of the city of Goma, capital of North Kivu, into the hands of M23 rebels, Congolese Defense Minister Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita committed on February 2 to acquire these long-range drones and a control station, for a cost of 172 million euros. Particularly expensive, the purchase project has sparked criticism within Congolese security circles.
However, it is expected to allow operators of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) to benefit from a four-month training in China, while Catic could provide maintenance of the equipment over a five-year period.
The drone acquisition for FARDC was described as “very important” by the defense minister in an approval request letter sent in early February to the Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa Tuluka. The three aircraft are intended to strike deep into the positions of the M23 .
Military Cooperation Agreement
The discussions fall within the framework of a military cooperation agreement signed between the DRC and China in September 2024, during Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita’s visit to the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) in Beijing. While the negotiations involved the Ministry of Defense and the general staff, they did not include the Military Office of President Félix Tshisekedi, which is headed by General Franck Ntumba. The latter’s position has been weakened since the beginning of the year due to the operational successes of the M23.
In 2023 and 2024, FARDC had already received attack drones from China. The company China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (Casc) had been commissioned by Kinshasa to deliver a total of nine CH-4 drones, several of which were quickly shot down (AI of 14/05/24).
