Algeria to Receive New Su-34 Long Range Strike Fighters Before Year’s End - Reports

The Algerian Air Force is scheduled to receive at least one new batch of Su-34 long range strike fighters before the end of 2026, according to unconfirmed reports from multiple sources. This follows confirmation of the delivery of the first batch in June, which made the country the world’s only foreign operator of the type. Reports of Algerian interest in acquiring Russia’s longest ranged and most heavily armed fighter type had previously emerged for over a decade, with the Algerian Air Force’s fielding of the world’s largest Su-24M strike fighter fleet fuelling speculation that the Su-34 would provide a one-for-one replacement introducing a new generation of capabilities. 

Reports of expected new deliveries to Algeria closely coincide with the release of photos in Novosibirsk, Siberia, showing a newly built Su-34 in factory grey primer, fuelling speculation that the latest production batch may be intended for Algerian service. The first images of Su-34s in desert colours surfaced in August 2025, after which the first footage showing the aircraft with Algerian Air Force markings were published in May 2026. Deliveries followed prior confirmation of efforts to significantly expand the production scales of the Su-34 strike fighter and Su-57 fifth generation fighter. 

Algeria achieved a major landmark in expanding its military footprint in early September when it deployed Su-30MKA fighter aircraft to Niger following a failed coup attempt. This followed years of strengthening defence ties with multiple Central African states that recent extracted themselves from the European sphere of influence, while also demonstrating the long reach of its combat aviation and its unchallenged primacy on the African continent. The Su-34 is by far the longest ranged fighter type in Africa or the wider world, and is expected to further support power projection operations, while also providing a robust retaliatory strike capability against countries in Europe. 

The Algerian Air Force has received three new types of Russian fighters over the past two years, including Su-35s that were confirmed to have been delivered in January 2025, and Su-57 fifth generation fighters which saw their delivery confirmed in November. The Su-57 is expected to be procured in the greatest numbers, and could eventually form the backbone of the country’s fleet phasing out the Su-30MKA from the mid-late 2030s. Approximately 36-40 Su-34 fighters are expected to be procured, with their ranges, precision strike capabilities, and network centric warfare capabilities all being far superior to those of the Su-24M. 

A primary advantage of the Su-34 is its considerable secondary air-to-air combat capability, which allows it to operate unescorted where Su-24 aircraft would need an escort. Although the Su-34 is a derivative of the Su-27 Flanker air superiority fighter, much like the Su-30MKA and Su-35 already in Algerian service, the new fighter is approximately 50 percent heavier, with its much increased fuel capacity providing it with the longest range of any operational fighter type. Russia’s defence sector has rapidly increased the number of weapons types available for integration onto the aircraft since early 2023 to support its ongoing war effort in the Ukrainian theatre, while also adapting doctrine considerably after Su-34s suffered heavy losses in initial engagements in early 2022.