Algeria Adds Su-57 Fighter Artwork to Defence Ministry Building: Near-Term Acquisition of Next Generation Russian Jet Likely

Algeria has long been speculated to be the first client for Russia’s Su-57 next generation fighter jet - a platform which entered mass production in July 2019 but has yet to join the Russian Air Force. While reports of an Algerian order for the Su-57 have not been verified, a recent image of the country’s Defence Ministry shows Su-57 fighters operating alongside Algerian Su-30 fighters, frigates and T-90 tanks - giving considerable credibility to reports that the country is in fact planning to field the aircraft. Algeria has been a leading client for state of the art Russian arms for decades, many of which entered service in the Algerian Military before they officially entered service in Russia itself. The country’s air force is considered the most modern and capable on the African continent, with Algeria itself ranked as 13th in the world among military powers as of 2020. The backbone of the Algerian Air Force is currently comprised of Su-30MKA heavyweight fighters, MiG-29C medium fighters and Su-24M strike fighters - with a unit of heavily modernised MiG-25 Foxbat interceptors also deployed for air defence. 

Due to the age of the MiG-25 Foxbat, which deploys Algeria’s heaviest air to air weapons and is its largest and fastest combat jet, Algeria is reportedly seeking the Su-57 initially to replace the Foxbat in service. 15 MiG-25 jets are currently in service, and Algeria was the first country in the world to receive the aircraft from the Soviet Union with the first units delivered in the late 1970s and for many years providing it with the most capable combat jets in Africa or the Arab world. While it was initially reported that Algeria  sought to replace the fighters with the Su-35, a ‘4++ generation’ fighter which has been exported to China and Egypt, the availability of the Su-57 for export is expected to diminish the Su-35’s popularity on export markets with the newer fighter having much more potential to incorporate upgrades and boasting superior capabilities across the spectrum. The Algerian Military has strongly prioritised its aerial warfare capabilities since the late 1970s, but moreso since the early 2010s when an unexpected NATO military intervention against its neighbour Libya exploited the unsuspecting African state’s poor air defence capabilities. It is expected that the Su-57 will eventually form the backbone of the Algerian fleet, and while initial production variants will most likely replace the MiG-25 in service, more advanced Su-57 variants could in future replace Algerian Su-30MKA heavyweight fighters. Development of new technologies for the Su-57, including sixth generation technologies such as artificial intelligence and hypersonic weapons, is currently ongoing.