SOFREP Morning Brief: Drones Strike Sudan’s Port Sudan Airport, Pentagon Orders Major Reduction in Four-Star Generals,

Begin your Tuesday with SOFREP’s morning brief, delivering key insights on defense and global affairs for May 6, 2025. Drones hit Sudan’s Port Sudan airport and army base for a third day. Pentagon orders 20% cut in four-star generals under Trump reforms. US Army halts Black Hawk flights near Reagan Airport after close calls. Japan faces US tariff pressure while boosting ties with China.

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Drones Strike Sudan’s Port Sudan Airport and Army Base for Third Consecutive Day

Port Sudan, the de facto capital of Sudan’s army-aligned government, came under renewed drone attacks on Tuesday, marking the third consecutive day of strikes targeting key military and civilian infrastructure in the strategic Red Sea port city.

According to airport and security officials, one drone hit the civilian section of Port Sudan’s international airport—the country’s main point of entry—just two days after the facility’s military base was attacked.

Another drone struck the central army base, while a third targeted a fuel depot near the southern port, igniting fires that have burned since Monday.

A Sudanese army source told reporters the drone that struck the army base landed near a hotel close to the residence of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The base and hotel are located in the city center, which now hosts United Nations facilities, international organizations, and hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people fleeing the broader conflict.

The army blames the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—a paramilitary faction led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, Burhan’s former deputy—for the attacks. The RSF has increasingly relied on drone warfare since losing ground in Khartoum in March and now regularly strikes targets deep within army-held territory.

Port Sudan, once considered a relative safe haven, is now a frontline target in the escalating civil war that began in April 2023.

Witnesses reported multiple explosions at dawn Tuesday, with plumes of smoke rising over the city from the direction of both the port and the fuel depot.

The ongoing conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF has killed tens of thousands, displaced over 13 million people, and triggered the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis, according to humanitarian agencies.

Pentagon Orders Major Reduction in Four-Star Generals Under Trump’s Military Restructure

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday ordered a sweeping reduction in senior military leadership, mandating a 20% cut in active-duty four-star generals and admirals, according to a Pentagon memo.

The directive also includes a 10% reduction in total general and flag officers, along with a 20% reduction in general officer ranks within the National Guard.

The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to streamline military leadership, cut what officials call “redundant force structure,” and improve operational readiness by reallocating resources toward frontline capabilities.

The US military currently has 38 four-star officers and 817 general and flag officers in active service, based on March 2025 figures. The memo did not outline specific names or methods for how the cuts would be implemented but stated that the reductions will occur in two phases—starting with the four-star and National Guard positions.

In a social media post labeled “less generals, more GIs,” Hegseth defended the policy by referencing WWII-era force structure, noting that the military then was much larger overall but had fewer top-ranking officers.

“This is not a slash-and-burn exercise,” Hegseth said. “It’s a deliberate strategy to maximize strategic readiness and operational effectiveness.”

Hegseth previously criticized what he called the “top-heavy bureaucracy” of the Pentagon during his January confirmation hearing. He pledged to identify “where fat can be cut, so it can go toward lethality.”

The leadership overhaul marks the latest in a series of personnel shakeups under President Donald Trump’s second term. Since January, the administration has dismissed multiple senior officers, including:

• General Charles “CQ” Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• The heads of the Navy and Coast Guard
• The NSA commander
• The Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force
• A NATO-assigned Navy admiral
• Three senior military legal officials

While Hegseth maintains that these changes reflect the administration’s desire to appoint preferred leadership, Democratic lawmakers have warned that the wave of firings and reductions risks politicizing the traditionally nonpartisan US military.

The Pentagon has also moved to cut its civilian workforce by 5%, part of Trump’s broader push to reduce the federal bureaucracy and reallocate defense spending toward combat readiness and modernization priorities.

US Army Halts Black Hawk Flights Near Reagan Airport After New Close Calls

The US Army has temporarily paused helicopter flight operations near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport following two commercial airliners being forced to abort landings last Thursday due to a Black Hawk helicopter en route to the Pentagon. The 12th Aviation Battalion ordered the stand-down, which has been in effect since May 2, according to two Army officials speaking to the Associated Press on Monday.

The decision follows renewed scrutiny of helicopter activity in congested airspace near Reagan airport.

Army Black Hawk helicopter causes 2 terrifying near-misses with airliners at Reagan airport after taking the ‘scenic route’ https://t.co/bK2xfxUsx8 pic.twitter.com/DKmH2eARs6

— New York Post (@nypost) May 4, 2025

In January, a catastrophic midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a commercial jet resulted in 67 fatalities, marking the worst US aviation disaster of its kind in over 20 years.

Last week’s incident involved a Delta Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170, both of which had to execute go-arounds at the instruction of air traffic controllers due to the presence of a “priority air transport” Black Hawk—callsign PAT25—used for transporting senior Pentagon officials.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are both investigating the latest incident.

In March, the FAA had already issued directives barring helicopters from operating in the same airspace as commercial aircraft near Reagan following the deadly January crash. Despite those rules, a Pentagon-directed maneuver reportedly brought the Army helicopter into the flight corridor, prompting the commercial aircraft to abort their landings.

The Army stated that the UH-60 Black Hawk was complying with published FAA routes and was executing a “go-around” when the conflict occurred. The unit had only recently begun a return-to-flight phase, intending to increase operations gradually over four weeks, according to internal Army documentation reviewed by the AP.

Civilian helicopter traffic also caused further disruption this week. On Sunday, three commercial flights were ordered to go around due to a police helicopter on an urgent mission in the area, highlighting persistent airspace congestion concerns.

The NTSB has warned of a troubling pattern of near misses in the Reagan National Airport airspace and previously criticized the FAA for not addressing risks sooner. The FAA’s new policies are under review as both the military and civilian aviation sectors respond to the elevated risk environment.

Separately, the FAA reported hours-long delays at Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday, citing air traffic controller shortages and adverse weather as contributing factors.

Japan Caught Between Allies as US Tariff Pressure Mounts and Beijing Courts Tokyo

Japan is navigating a delicate balancing act as it manages intensifying tariff pressure from the US while engaging in diplomatic outreach with China, signaling a strategic effort to stabilize economic ties and hedge against growing global uncertainty.

As Japan’s chief trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa traveled to Washington last week for a second round of tariff talks, a bipartisan Japanese parliamentary delegation visited Beijing under the banner of the Japan-China Friendship Union.

The visit followed an earlier trip by Tetsuo Saito, head of Japan’s Komeito Party, who hand-delivered a letter from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

While details of the letter remain undisclosed, discussions reportedly included US tariff policies and regional bilateral concerns.

President Donald Trump’s administration has placed significant economic strain on Japan, imposing a 25% tariff on Japanese steel, aluminum, and auto exports, and threatening broader duties on Japanese goods as part of a sweeping protectionist strategy. Though a 24% general tariff on Japanese goods has been paused for negotiations, a 10% baseline tariff on most countries—excluding China—remains in place.

Beijing has seized the opportunity to court Tokyo and other US allies affected by tariffs. Despite historic animosity and unresolved issues, such as the Fukushima seafood ban and territorial disputes over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, both sides have expressed interest in improving relations.

China’s National People’s Congress offered to expand bilateral dialogue, and although Beijing did not lift its seafood ban, it signaled a more favorable stance toward Japan’s radiation discharge measures.

What once seemed impossible: China, Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN nations issued a joint statement opposing rising trade protectionism—clearly aimed at Trump’s tariffs.

Their strategy: deepen regional trade, boost local currency finance, and reduce reliance on the U.S.—including… pic.twitter.com/ARKnDtIk2m

— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 5, 2025

Analysts note that Japan is unlikely to shift into China’s geopolitical orbit, given its deep military alliance with the US, but suggest Tokyo is pursuing a pragmatic hedging strategy to guard against American economic unpredictability.

In Southeast Asia, Japan and China are increasingly competing for influence. Prime Minister Ishiba recently concluded visits to Vietnam and the Philippines, reinforcing security and economic ties and promoting multilateral free trade. Meanwhile, Xi Jinping made his own regional rounds in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, emphasizing stronger supply chains and Beijing’s trade vision.

Japan’s leadership is working to reassure regional partners while maintaining stability with both Washington and Beijing. At the Hudson Institute, Japanese policymaker Itsunori Onodera warned that US tariff policies risk alienating Asian nations, potentially pushing them closer to China—a shift Tokyo seeks to avoid.

Akazawa stressed that Japan continues to press for tariff relief, particularly on automobiles, while keeping a close eye on US-China developments. Japan’s position remains clear: protect its industries, maintain the US alliance, and avoid being drawn into great power rivalry.

Sources: News Agencies