Algerian Air Force
The Algerian Air Force grew out of a handful of pilots the National Liberation Front sent abroad to train during the war of independence, began flying in 1962 with five MiG-15s given by Egypt, sent squadrons to the Arab fronts in 1967 and 1973, and has since become one of the largest and most heavily Russian-equipped air arms in Africa — with Su-30MKAs, MiG-29Ms and Su-24s in service, Su-35s seen on its ramps in 2025 and a Su-57 order that Algerian state television announced but that neither government has fully documented.
The Algerian Air Force story: pilots trained in exile, two Arab wars and a Russian-built Flanker fleet
1957–1962: pilots trained in exile
Algeria had an air force before it had a state. In 1957, according to the history summarised by English Wikipedia, the National Liberation Front (FLN) sent six young Algerians to the Syrian air force school at Nayrab near Aleppo; others trained with the Egyptian, Iraqi, Soviet and Chinese air arms. The nucleus was organised from Cairo by Saïd Aït Messaoudène, a 1955 graduate of the French École de l’Air at Salon-de-Provence who had flown fighters for France and defected to the FLN, and the FLN paper El Moudjahid announced the first class of Algerian pilots on 6 February 1959. None of them flew in the war of independence: the ALN fought on the ground, and the trained pilots came home only after independence in July 1962. Algerian sources therefore date the air force to the days after independence, while Wikipedia’s infobox uses 1959.
1962–1973: Egyptian gifts, Soviet jets and two Arab wars
The first aircraft were gifts. Egypt handed over five MiG-15s and twelve Helwan Gomhouria trainers in 1962, with advisers, and the Soviet Union sent Mi-4 helicopters and, by 1964, twenty more MiG-15bis. The 1963 Sand War with Morocco came too early for them: Morocco had modern strike aircraft and Algeria did not, and the only Algerian air action in the record is a bombing at Oued Zeknou. By 1967 Algeria had about thirty MiG-17s, MiG-21F-13s and Il-28 bombers, and in June it sent squadrons to Egypt. French Wikipedia says the first MiG-21s landed at El Arish after the airfield had already fallen to Israel and were captured. In October 1973 Algeria did better: two MiG-21 squadrons, a Su-7 squadron and 23 MiG-17s flew about 500 sorties on the Egyptian front, for losses that the two Wikipedias count differently.
1975–1991: MiG-23s, MiG-25s and the Moroccan rivalry
In the 1970s Soviet deliveries turned a small force into a large one. A 1975 agreement brought 40 MiG-23BNs, which replaced the Su-7 from 1976, and 47 MiG-21bis; a 1978 order added more MiG-21s, MiG-23MF interceptors and Mi-24 gunships, and by 1979 twenty MiG-25s had arrived, making Algeria the type’s first foreign operator. The Moroccan rivalry was the yardstick. When Algerian troops clashed with Moroccan forces at Amgala in Western Sahara in January 1976, Algeria’s contribution in the air was an SA-6 battery with Algerian crews, not aircraft, and a declassified CIA assessment quoted on Wikipedia noted that Morocco could not intercept the Algerian MiG-25s that overflew it. In 1981 air defence was split off into a separate branch, and the United States sold C-130H Hercules. The Library of Congress counted about 193 combat aircraft and some 15 bases in 1993.
1992–2008: civil war, embargo and the MiG-29 that went back
The 1990s were the worst decade. In January 1992 the High Security Council cancelled the second round of the general election, and the civil war that followed killed tens of thousands: President Bouteflika spoke of 100,000 dead in 1999 and about 150,000 in 2005, while a 2008 study counted about 44,000 killed and disappeared. The air force flew in that war, mainly with helicopters, but its operations are thinly documented. It also lost its support: French Wikipedia records that some 500 Soviet technicians had left by about 1990, and spares became scarce. Recovery began with second-hand MiG-29s and Su-24s from Belarus and Ukraine between 1999 and 2003 and six Il-78 tankers from Ukraine. In March 2006 a large Russian package followed — Su-30MKAs, Yak-130s and MiG-29SMTs — and the MiG-29s turned out to contain refurbished older airframes. Algeria sent them back, and the Russian air force bought them.
2010–2024: the Flanker era, and two terrible crashes
The Flanker became the backbone. The returned MiGs were swapped for options on more Su-30MKAs: 16 ordered in December 2010, 14 more in December 2015 and another 16 in 2019, with 14 MiG-29M/M2s that began arriving in October 2020. The Yak-130 trainer arrived in 2011, making Algeria its first export customer, and Mi-28NE attack helicopters were shown on television in 2016. How many aircraft are actually in service is disputed: Wikipedia’s own articles give between 59 and 72 Su-30MKAs. The period also brought the air force’s two worst disasters in the sources checked. On 11 February 2014 a C-130H-30 carrying military families hit a mountain near Aïn Kercha, killing 76 of the 77 on board, and on 11 April 2018 an Il-76 bound for Tindouf crashed after take-off from Boufarik, killing all 257 people aboard.
2025–2026: Su-35s, a Su-57 claim and a drone on the Mali border
Since 2025 the story has been one of announcements and imagery rather than official detail. In February 2025 Algerian state television said Algeria had ordered the Su-57, Russia’s stealth fighter; in March satellite imagery showed Su-35s that had been built for Egypt arriving at Oum El Bouaghi; and in November the head of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation said the first two Su-57s had been delivered to an unnamed foreign customer. Neither government has published numbers. In September 2021 Algeria closed its airspace to Moroccan aircraft after breaking off relations, and on the night of 31 March to 1 April 2025 it shot down a Malian drone near Tin Zaouatine, which Mali said had never entered Algerian airspace; relations and airspace were restored only in July 2026. The air force is large, rich by African standards and almost entirely Russian-equipped, but what it flies is known mainly from outside.
The Algerian Air Force in numbers
Service
- Native name
- القوات الجوية الجزائريةArabic name as given by English and French Wikipedia; in Tamazight ⵜⴰⵣⵎⴻⵔⵜ ⵉⴳⴻⵏⵏⵉ ⵜⴰⵣⵣⴰⵢⵔⵉⵜ (French Wikipedia), in French Forces aériennes algériennes. The Ministry of National Defence calls the command the Commandement des Forces Aériennes (CFA); its site could not be reached to confirm spelling
- Founded
- 1962Algerian and French sources date the air force to the days after independence in July 1962; English Wikipedia uses 4 February 1959, when the FLN formally created an air arm whose pilots were then training abroad
- Part of
- People’s National Army (ANP)One of the four branches with the land forces, the naval forces and the territorial air defence forces, which were split from the air force in 1981
- Commander
- Maj. Gen. Zoubir GhouilaSince 23 February 2025, succeeding Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Laraba (July 2020–2025)
- Supreme commander
- The President of the RepublicThe president is supreme commander of the armed forces under the constitution, as the Library of Congress study described it
- Main supplier
- Russia (and earlier the Soviet Union)Almost every combat type since 1962 has been Soviet or Russian; Western types are mainly transports, trainers and helicopters. Russian advisers were still attached to the army in 1993
Strength
- Personnel
- About 14,000English Wikipedia’s figure. The Library of Congress gave 10,000 for the air force in 1993, plus perhaps 4,000 in air defence; French Wikipedia cites 5,000 for 1978
- Combat aircraft
-
- Su-30MKA, Su-34 and Su-35 — 65 in service (FlightGlobal, one combined line), 36 on order
- MiG-29 (9.13/S and M/M2) — 46, plus 2 two-seat trainers
- Su-24MK/M2/MR — 42
- Su-57E — 14 on order (FlightGlobal); first deliveries claimed by Russia in 2025, not documented by Algeria
Counts are contested: FlightGlobal’s 2024 figures quoted by TWZ were 63 Su-30MKA, 40 MiG-29 and 42 Su-24; IISS 2024 as cited by Wikipedia gave 59 Su-30MKA and 36 Su-24s
- Transport and tankers
-
- Il-76 — 11
- Il-78 tanker — 4
- C-130H and C-130J — 14 and 4
- C295 — 5
- Beechcraft 1900 and King Air family — about 36 in transport, reconnaissance and maritime roles
FlightGlobal directory figures
- Helicopters
-
- Mi-8/17/171 — 141
- Mi-28NE — 42
- Mi-24 — 32
- Mi-26 — 14
- AS355, AW139, Mi-2, Ka-32, Bell 412 — 53 together
FlightGlobal directory figures; Mi-24 counts range from 30 to 33 across sources
- Trainers
-
- L-39 — 54
- Yak-130 — 18
- AW119 and W-3 helicopters — 8 each
- Zlin Z 142 (Firnas 142) — about 20 (Wikipedia only)
Primary flying training has been at Tafraoui near Oran since the early 1970s
- Air-to-air refuelling
- 4 Il-78Six bought from Ukraine in 1998 and delivered by 2003; four in service from 2017
Infrastructure
- Main air bases
-
- Oum El Bouaghi (Aïn Beïda)
- Aïn Oussera
- Bou Sfer (Oran)
- Boufarik
- Biskra
- Laghouat
- Béchar (Boudghene Ben Ali Lotfi)
- Tafraoui (training)
- Tindouf and Tamanrasset
Bases named by English and French Wikipedia; the government does not publish a base list. The Library of Congress counted roughly 15 bases in 1993
- Flying training
- Tafraoui, near OranThe first military flying school opened there with Soviet help in the early 1970s
- Airspace closures
- Closed to Moroccan aircraft since 22 September 2021Decided by the High Security Council after Algeria broke off relations on 24 August 2021. Airspace closed to Mali in April 2025 was reopened in July 2026
- Territorial air defence
- A separate branch since 1981The Défense Aérienne du Territoire took over ground-based air defence; in 1993 it had three SAM regiments with SA-3, SA-6 and SA-8
How the Algerian Air Force is organised
One of the four branches of the People’s National Army, commanded from Algiers, with ground-based air defence a separate branch since 1981. The Su-30MKA, between 59 and 72 by Wikipedia’s counts, is the front-line fighter, beside 46 MiG-29s and 42 Su-24 strike aircraft in FlightGlobal’s directory; Su-35s were seen on satellite imagery at Oum El Bouaghi in March 2025. Algeria publishes no list of its wings or bases, so the dispositions here are those French Wikipedia gives, with that attribution.
Algerian Air Force
One of the four branches of the People’s National Army under the Ministry of National Defence, which calls its headquarters the Commandement des Forces Aériennes; ground-based air defence has been a separate branch since 1981. English and French Wikipedia record that Maj Gen Zoubir Ghouila took command on 23 February 2025, replacing Maj Gen Mahmoud Laraba; the ministry’s own site could not be reached to confirm the date. The President of the Republic is supreme commander of the armed forces.
Fighter wings
The Su-30MKA is the main fighter, with between 59 and 72 reported by Wikipedia’s articles, beside 46 MiG-29s in FlightGlobal’s directory, older 9.13s and MiG-29M/M2s delivered from October 2020. TWZ reported Su-35s built for Egypt on satellite imagery at Oum El Bouaghi in March 2025; neither government has confirmed them. The government publishes no wing list: French Wikipedia associates fighter wings with Oum El Bouaghi, Bou Sfer, Béchar and Tindouf.
Strike and reconnaissance
FlightGlobal lists 42 Su-24MK/M2/MR, flown since 1987 and brought to M2/MR2 standard from late 2020. French Wikipedia associates the strike wing with Laghouat and a reconnaissance and electronic warfare wing, which flew the MiG-25 until its retirement in 2022, with Aïn Oussera. Wikipedia lists 24 Wing Loong II and other Chinese armed drones; FlightGlobal does not list drones.
Transport and tanker fleet
English Wikipedia calls Boufarik the home of the transport fleet; FlightGlobal lists 11 Il-76s, 4 Il-78 tankers, 18 C-130H and C-130J Hercules, 5 C295s and about 36 Beechcraft 1900s and King Airs. The airlift links the north with the garrisons at Tindouf, Béchar and Tamanrasset; on 11 April 2018 an Il-76 crashed after take-off from Boufarik, killing all 257 aboard.
Helicopter regiments
FlightGlobal counts 141 Mi-8/17/171s, 42 Mi-28NE and 32 Mi-24 attack helicopters, the Mi-24s upgraded by South African companies, and 14 Mi-26s. French Wikipedia associates helicopter regiments with Biskra, Chlef and Ouargla and a liaison wing flying Kamov helicopters with Blida; the government does not confirm the dispositions.
École supérieure de l’Air
The air force academy and flying school, with school status since 1977 according to French Wikipedia, trains pilots, engineers and technicians. FlightGlobal lists 54 L-39s and 18 Yak-130s, Algeria having become the Yak-130’s first export customer in 2011, with AW119 and W-3 training helicopters; the school’s own fleet is not published.
What the Algerian Air Force flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi Su-30MKAIn service | Multirole fighter | 59–72 reported. Wikipedia’s Su-30 article cites 59 for 2024 (IISS) and 70 for 2022; the Algerian Air Force article gives 72; FlightGlobal’s 2024 figure quoted by TWZ was 63.
MoreOrders add up to 74 (28 in 2006, 16 in 2010, 14 in 2015, 16 in 2019), less losses. FlightGlobal’s current directory lumps Su-30, Su-34 and Su-35 together as 65. |
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| Mikoyan MiG-29 (9.13/S) and MiG-29M/M2In service | Multirole fighter | 46 | 1999 | 46 plus 2 trainers in FlightGlobal’s directory; FlightGlobal’s 2024 figure quoted by TWZ was 40.
MoreOf these, 14 MiG-29M/M2 were ordered in 2019 according to the MiG-29M article, which elsewhere gives 25. |
||
| Sukhoi Su-24MK/M2 and Su-24MRIn service | Strike and reconnaissance | 42 | 1987 | 42 in FlightGlobal’s directory; IISS 2024, as cited by Wikipedia, gives 33 Su-24M/MK and 3 Su-24MR. | ||
| Sukhoi Su-35In service | Air superiority fighter | 2025 | Not confirmed by either government.
MoreTWZ, citing IISS, reported at least four aircraft in Algerian markings besides one seen on imagery; Wikipedia says at least two were seen flying in Algeria. |
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| Yakovlev Yak-130In service | Advanced jet trainer and light attack | 18 | 2011 | 18 in FlightGlobal’s directory; 16 ordered in March 2006. | ||
| Aero L-39 AlbatrosIn service | Jet trainer | 54 | 54 in FlightGlobal’s directory. | |||
| Zlin Z 142 (Firnas 142)In service | Primary trainer | 20 | About 20 according to Wikipedia; not listed by FlightGlobal. | |||
| Ilyushin Il-76TD/MDIn service | Heavy transport | 11 | 11 in FlightGlobal’s directory. | |||
| Ilyushin Il-78In service | Tanker | 4 | 1998 | Four in service; six were bought. | ||
| Lockheed C-130H/H-30 and C-130J HerculesIn service | Tactical transport | 18 | 1981 | 14 C-130H and 4 C-130J in FlightGlobal’s directory; Wikipedia gives 15. The Library of Congress counted 16 in 1993. | ||
| Airbus (CASA) C295In service | Tactical transport | 5 | 5 in FlightGlobal’s directory. | |||
| Beechcraft 1900 and King Air familyIn service | Transport, reconnaissance and maritime patrol | 36 | FlightGlobal: 6 Beech 1900 reconnaissance, 6 Beech 1900 transport, 1 King Air 200 reconnaissance, 3 King Air 200/350 maritime patrol and 20 King Air 90/200/350 transport. | |||
| Pilatus PC-6 PorterIn service | Utility transport | 3 | 3 in FlightGlobal’s directory. | |||
| Beriev Be-200ESIn service | Amphibian and firefighting | 2 | 2023 | Two delivered of four ordered by the Ministry of Defence. | ||
| Airbus A340 and Gulfstream IV/VIn service | VIP transport | 6 | One A340-500 and five Gulfstreams according to Wikipedia; not listed in FlightGlobal’s directory. | |||
| Mil Mi-8, Mi-17 and Mi-171In service | Transport helicopter | 141 | 141 in FlightGlobal’s directory; Wikipedia gives 104 Mi-8 and 37 Mi-17, the same total. | |||
| Mil Mi-28NEIn service | Attack helicopter | 42 | 2016 | 42 according to FlightGlobal and Wikipedia. | ||
| Mil Mi-24 (Mk III upgrade)In service | Attack helicopter | 32 | 32 in FlightGlobal’s directory; 30 Mi-24MkIII in 2024 (Wikipedia); 33 (FlightGlobal 2024 figure quoted by TWZ). | |||
| Mil Mi-26In service | Heavy-lift helicopter | 14 | 14 in FlightGlobal’s directory. | |||
| AgustaWestland AW139In service | Utility and search-and-rescue helicopter | 11 | 11 in FlightGlobal’s directory. | |||
| Eurocopter AS355 Écureuil 2In service | Light helicopter | 14 | 14 in FlightGlobal’s directory. | |||
| Mil Mi-2In service | Light helicopter | 22 | 22 in FlightGlobal’s directory. | |||
| Kamov Ka-32 and Bell 412In service | Utility helicopter | 6 | 3 Ka-32 and 3 Bell 412 in FlightGlobal’s directory. | |||
| AgustaWestland AW119 and PZL W-3 SokółIn service | Training helicopter | 16 | 8 of each in FlightGlobal’s directory. | |||
| Chinese armed drones (CH-4 / Wing Loong II family)In service | Armed reconnaissance drone | Numbers not confirmed: Wikipedia lists 24 Wing Loong II, 10 Rainbow and 4 WJ-700, plus Emirati-designed Yabhon drones built locally, but FlightGlobal does not list drones. |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi Su-57EOn order | 14 | 2025 | 14 on order in FlightGlobal’s directory; a December 2019 contract for 14 was reported but never confirmed by either government, and TWZ noted unconfirmed reports of an initial six.
MoreAlgerian state television announced the order in February 2025. On 18 November 2025 the head of United Aircraft Corporation said the first two Su-57s had been delivered to an unnamed foreign customer, widely assumed to be Algeria; Wikipedia reports photographic evidence in February 2026. Treated here as unconfirmed. |
|
| Sukhoi Su-34On order | Talks reported since 2016 and a contract for 14 reported in December 2019; a Russian official denied building aircraft for Algeria in March 2021, and Wikipedia’s Su-34 article records no confirmed delivery.
MoreEnglish Wikipedia’s Algerian Air Force article nonetheless lists 14 in service. FlightGlobal’s 36 on order covers Su-30, Su-34 and Su-35 together. |
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| Chengdu J-10COn order | Reported in June 2026 to be under negotiation for about 30–40 aircraft; no contract confirmed in the sources checked. | |||
| Beriev Be-200ESOn order | 2 | Two of four ordered still to come according to Wikipedia. |
Every type the Algerian Air Force has retired
14 types, from the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis and MiG-15UTI to the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25P, RB and PU. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25P, RB and PU | Interceptor and reconnaissance | 1979–2022 | Su-30MKA | At least 36 received, including at least 18 MiG-25P, 10 MiG-25RB and 6 trainers (Wikipedia); the Library of Congress counted 14 plus 3 reconnaissance aircraft in 1993. | ||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23BN and MiG-23MF | Fighter-bomber and interceptor | 56 | 1976–2008 | Su-24, Su-30MKA | 40 MiG-23BN (1975 deal) and 16 MiG-23MF (1978 order); the Library of Congress counted 40 ground-attack and 20 fighter MiG-23s in 1993. | |
| Mikoyan MiG-29SMT and MiG-29UBT (returned) | Multirole fighter | Su-30MKA | 34–39: the Algerian Air Force article gives 28 SMT and 6 UB in the 2006 contract; the MiG-29 article says 35 were rejected and bought by the Russian Aerospace Forces; the Su-30 article says 39. | |||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F-13, FL, MF and bis | Fighter | 1965–2002 | MiG-29 | At least 24 F-13s in 1965–66, 47 MiG-21bis ordered in 1975 and 40 more in 1978; 95 in service in 1993 (Library of Congress). | ||
| Sukhoi Su-7BMK | Fighter-bomber | MiG-23BN | Number not given; one squadron went to Egypt in 1973. | |||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis and MiG-15UTI | Fighter and trainer | 25 | 1962– | MiG-17, MiG-21 | Five from Egypt in 1962 (three bis, two UTI) and twenty more MiG-15bis from the Soviet Union by 1964. | |
| Helwan Gomhouria | Primary trainer | 12 | 1962– | Twelve given by Egypt in 1962. | ||
| Mil Mi-4 | Transport helicopter | 1962– | Mi-8 | Number not given. | ||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F | Fighter-bomber | 30 | 1965– | MiG-23BN | About 30. | |
| Ilyushin Il-28 | Light bomber | 14 | 1966– | Su-24 | 14 ordered in 1965–66. | |
| Antonov An-12 | Transport | 6 | C-130, Il-76 | Six in 1993 (Library of Congress). | ||
| Beechcraft T-34C Turbo Mentor | Trainer | 6 | 1981– | Six bought in 1981. | ||
| Fokker F27 | Transport | 3 | 1981– | Three bought in 1981. | ||
| Fouga CM.170 Magister | Jet trainer | L-39 | Number not given. |
Where the Algerian Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the airfields that have closed. Fifteen aerodromes in the public Algerian AIP are civil/military, among them Béchar, Tindouf, Tamanrasset, Biskra, Chlef and Ouargla; Boufarik and the fighter bases are military-only and absent from it. Tafraoui and Blida were taken by the Allies on the first day of Operation Torch, 8 November 1942. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aïn OusseraDjelfa Province | DAAQ | Active | ||
| BécharBéchar Province | DAOR | Active | 06/243,622 mbituminous concrete18/363,000 mbituminous concrete | |
| BiskraBiskra Province | DAUB | Active | 13/313,300 mconcrete ends, bituminous concrete centre | |
| BlidaBlida Province | DAAB | Active | 07/251,807 m | |
| Bou SferOran Province | DAOE | Active | ||
| BoufarikBlida Province (wilaya of Blida) | DAAK | Active | 04/223,622 mconcrete | |
| ChlefChlef Province | DAOI | Active | 08/263,100 mbituminous concrete and concrete07/251,500 mbituminous concrete | |
| LaghouatLaghouat Province | DAUL | Active | ||
| OuarglaOuargla Province | DAUU | Active | 01/193,000 mbituminous concrete18/363,000 mbituminous concrete | |
| Oum El BouaghiOum El Bouaghi Province | DABO | Active | ||
| RegganeAdrar Province | Active | |||
| TafraouiOran Province (wilaya of Oran) | DAOL | Active |
|
|
| TamanrassetTamanrasset Province | DAAT | Active | 02/203,500 mbituminous concrete08/263,150 mconcrete and bituminous concrete | |
| TindoufTindouf Province | DAOF | Active | 08R/26L3,000 mbituminous concrete08L/26R3,000 mconcrete ends, bituminous concrete centre |
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Algerian Air Force
Flying units by base, current units first. Algeria publishes no order of battle, and the only unit listed by name is the École supérieure de l’Air at Tafraoui, the air force academy since 1977. The wings and regiments French Wikipedia associates with each base are given in the base entries with that attribution, and the US Twelfth Air Force groups that flew from Tafaraoui in 1942 are described in its history.
- École supérieure de l’Air (Air Force Academy)Air force academy and flying school · active
No unit matches that search.
Algerian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
The FLN sends six Algerians to the Syrian air force school at Nayrab near Aleppo; others train in Egypt, Iraq, the Soviet Union and China.
4 February: the FLN formally creates an air arm. 6 February: El Moudjahid announces the first class of Algerian pilots.
After independence Egypt gives five MiG-15s and twelve Gomhouria trainers; the Soviet Union sends Mi-4 helicopters.
October: the Sand War with Morocco; air power plays little part. Ceasefire on 30 October.
The first of about 30 MiG-17s arrives, followed in 1965–66 by MiG-21F-13s and an order for 14 Il-28s.
June: squadrons of MiG-17s, MiG-21s and Il-28s are sent to Egypt; French Wikipedia says the first MiG-21s landed at El Arish after it had fallen and were captured.
October: two MiG-21 squadrons, a Su-7 squadron and 23 MiG-17s fly about 500 sorties on the Egyptian front.
MiG-23BNs replace the Su-7. January: at Amgala in Western Sahara, an Algerian-crewed SA-6 battery supports Algerian troops against Moroccan forces.
Twenty MiG-25s have been delivered; Algeria is the type’s first foreign operator.
Ground-based air defence becomes a separate branch; C-130H deliveries from the United States begin.
The first Su-24MKs arrive from the Soviet Union.
11 January: the electoral process is cancelled and the civil war begins; it ends in 2002.
Second-hand MiG-29s and Su-24s from Belarus and Ukraine start to arrive (to 2003); Il-78 tankers follow from Ukraine.
March: a Russian package brings Su-30MKAs, Yak-130s and MiG-29SMTs; in 2008 the MiG-29SMTs are returned to Russia.
11 April: Il-76 7T-WIV crashes after take-off from Boufarik; all 257 aboard are killed.
22 September: Algeria closes its airspace to Moroccan civil and military aircraft, a month after breaking off relations.
23 February: Maj. Gen. Zoubir Ghouila takes command. March: Su-35s seen at Oum El Bouaghi. Night of 31 March: a Malian drone is shot down near Tin Zaouatine.
February: photographs reported to show Su-57s in Algeria. July: diplomatic relations and airspace with Mali restored.
Every conflict the Algerian Air Force has taken part in
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- The Sand War 1963 Very limited: a few MiG-15s and Mi-4 helicopters against a Moroccan air force with modern strike aircraft
- The Six-Day War 1967 Sent fighter and bomber squadrons to reinforce Egypt; they arrived too late to affect the air war
- The October War (Yom Kippur War) 1973 Expeditionary force of fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons under Egyptian command
- Western Sahara and the battles of Amgala 1976 No Algerian air combat is recorded; an Algerian-crewed SA-6 battery supported Algerian troops at Amgala
- The Algerian Civil War 1992–2002 Supported the army against armed Islamist groups, mainly with helicopters; details are thinly documented
Algerian Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Algerian Air Force and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.
Everything people ask about the Algerian Air Force
What is the Algerian Air Force called in Arabic, Tamazight and French?
Which fighter jets does the Algerian Air Force fly?
Does Algeria have the Su-57?
How big is the Algerian Air Force?
When was the Algerian Air Force founded?
Did the Algerian Air Force fight Israel?
Has the Algerian Air Force fought Morocco?
Why did Algeria send its MiG-29s back to Russia?
What was the worst Algerian Air Force crash?
Did Algeria shoot down a drone on the Mali border?
Read the aircraft the Algerian Air Force flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- FlightGlobal: World Air Forces directory (edition served at this address, labelled 2025; cited by Wikipedia as World Air Forces 2026)Algeria: MiG-29 46, Su-24 42, Su-30/34/35 65 (+36), Su-57 (+14), Il-78 4, Il-76 11, C-130H 14, C-130J 4, C295 5, Mi-8/17/171 141, Mi-28 42, Mi-24 32, Mi-26 14, L-39 54, Yak-130 18 and others.
- Library of Congress Country Studies: Algeria (1993) – Air ForceAbout 193 combat aircraft and 15 bases in 1993; MiG-25, MiG-21, MiG-23, Su-24, C-130 and An-12 counts; air defence brigades; 1962 MiG-15s from Egypt; Tafraoui academy.
- Library of Congress Country Studies: Algeria (1993) – The Armed ForcesFour branches; 121,700 active in 1993, air force 10,000 plus perhaps 4,000 air defence; the High Security Council’s cancellation of the 1992 election; president as supreme commander.
- Library of Congress Country Studies: Algeria (1993) – Army Organization and EquipmentRussian advisers still attached to the ANP in 1993.
- Aviation Safety Network: Ilyushin Il-76TD 7T-WIV, 11 April 2018Crash near Boufarik Air Base on departure for Tindouf; 257 killed (247 passengers, 10 crew).
- Aviation Safety Network: Lockheed C-130H-30 7T-WHM, 11 February 2014Crash near Aïn Kercha on approach to Constantine; 76 killed of 77, one survivor.
- TWZ: Algeria Says It’s The Su-57 Felon’s First Export Customer (12 February 2025)Algerian state television announcement; pilots training in Russia; unconfirmed reports of six; 2024 fleet figures.
- TWZ: Su-35s Once Expected To Arm Iran Are Now In Algeria (9 April 2025)Satellite imagery of 2, 5 and 10 March 2025; IISS report of at least four more in Algerian markings; FlightGlobal 2024 figures (63 Su-30MKA, 40 MiG-29, 42 Su-24).
- Arab News Pakistan: Algeria says its envoy will return to Mali after year-long rift (10 July 2026)Ambassadors to return; airspace reopened to civil and military aircraft; Mali denied the 2025 airspace violation.
- AIP Algérie, AD 1.3 Index to aerodromes (AIRAC AMDT 03/26, 3 September 2026)ENNA/SIA; 37 aerodromes; the civil/military ones are DAUA, DAOR, DAUB, DATM, DAAD, DAOI, DAAJ, DAAP, DATG, DAUU, DAAS, DAAT, DAUT, DAOF, DAUZ. Military-only bases are not listed.
- SIA Algérie (ENNA): Aeronautical Information PublicationIndex page of the public AIP and its AD 2 aerodrome sections.
- AIP Algérie, AD 2 DAUB Biskra/Mohamed Khider (AIRAC AMDT 01/25, 20 February 2025)Reference point, elevation 86 m, civil/military status, runway 13/31.
- AIP Algérie, AD 2 DAOR Béchar/Boudghene Ben Ali Lotfi (AIRAC AMDT 01/24, 16 May 2024)Reference point, elevation 810 m, civil/military status, runways 06/24 and 18/36.
- AIP Algérie, AD 2 DAOF Tindouf (AIRAC AMDT 01/25, 20 February 2025)Reference point, elevation 446 m, civil/military status, parallel runways 08L/26R and 08R/26L.
- AIP Algérie, AD 2 DAAT Tamenghasset/Aguenar – Hadj Bey Akhamok (AIRAC AMDT 01/26, 19 February 2026)Reference point, elevation 1,377 m, civil/military status, runways 02/20 and 08/26.
- AIP Algérie, AD 2 DAOI Chlef (AIRAC AMDT 01/25, 20 February 2025)Reference point, elevation 153 m, civil/military status, runways 08/26 and 07/25.
- AIP Algérie, AD 2 DAUU Ouargla/Aïn Beïda (AIRAC AMDT 01/26, 19 February 2026)Reference point, elevation 152 m, civil/military status, runways 01/19 and 18/36.
- Al Jazeera: Algeria state TV: 257 killed in Boufarik military plane crash (11 April 2018)Destination given as Béchar; 26 Polisario members aboard.
- RTÉ News: 257 people feared dead in Algerian military plane crash (11 April 2018)Crash at about 08:00; bound for Tindouf; about 30 Western Saharan refugees; Maj. Gen. Boualem Madi; three days of mourning.
Figures verified 2026-10-01. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
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