Satellite Footage Confirms Su-35 Deployment at Algerian Airbase

<p >Satellite footage has confirmed the arrival of Su-35 fighter aircraft in Algeria, verifying prior reports that the Algerian Air Force had begin to receive the aircraft to modernise its fleet. The emergence of this footage closely followed earlier satellite imagery in March showing a disassembled Su-35 being loaded into an An-124 transport at the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-leading-fighter-fourth-phase" target="_blank">Komsomolsk on Amur Aircraft Plant </a>in the Russian Far East, where the fighters are manufactured and where export configured aircraft have long been in storage. Over 20 Su-35s were previously <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/most-new-su35s-going-to-egypt" >produced for Egypt </a>to meet an order placed in 2018, before Cairo cancelled orders under Western pressure. These aircraft were previously expected to be delivered to Iran, which was confirmed in 2023 to have <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/iran-confirms-order-finalised-su35-fighters" >ordered</a> Su-35s for its own air force. It was thus unexpected when the Algerian Air Force was on March 13 seen operating the same aircraft from Oum Bouaghi Air Base, with the same camouflage pattern originally intended for Egypt and added Algerian roundels. Footage of the fighters on the ground in the country has provided further important confirmation that the aircraft were delivered. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/04/11/article_67f980602c8df4_09568538.jpeg" title="Russian Air Force Su-35"></p><p >In the final week of March the General Director of the state run United Arms Corporation Vadim Badekha revealed that plans were underway to <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-expanding-su35-fighter-production-scale-two-reasons-why" >expand the production scale</a> of the Su-35, with the expectation of large Iranian orders and expansion of the Russian Air Force’s own requirements for new fighters thought to be primary factors influencing this decision. <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/a-new-phase-in-indonesia-s-long-effort-to-purchase-russian-su-35-fighters-ambassador-confirms-contract-still-in-effect" >Indonesia</a> and <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/expert-russia-nkorea-joint-fighter-units" >North Korea</a> are among the other states seen as potential clients. The fact that Su-35s built for Egypt were not delivered to Iran has fuelled speculation that the Iranian Air Force will procure a customised version of the fighter, and that it may produce the fighters under license, which could have ended its interest in acquiring the already built airframes. The possibility of Iran procuring a <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su35-twin-seat-iran-aew-training" >twin seat variant </a>of the Su-35 has been raised in the past, with the country’s orders expected to mark a major <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/will-iran-save-russias-su35-fighter-program" >turning point</a> in the program that has so far been less successful than expected on export markets.</p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/04/11/article_67f9822451a844_18786013.jpeg" title="Dimitry Shugayev and Said Chengriha with Su-57 Fighter Model in Algeria in 2020"></p><p > </p><p >Unlike Iran, Algeria is expected to procure the Su-35 in only limited numbers, with he backbone of its fleet being formed by the Su-30MKA fighter, while the majority of future funds for procuring fighters are expected to be focused on the more advanced Su-57 fifth generation fighter. Algerian orders for the Su-57 were <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/algeria-confirmed-first-foreign-client-russia-su57-how-many" >confirmed</a> in February 2025 to have been placed, with the first of the aircraft set to arrive before the end of the year. Algerian interest in the Su-57 was a leading factor that made its procurement of the Su-35 appear unlikely in the past, with the fielding of both fighters alongside the Su-30MKA expected to significantly complicate maintenance procedures due to the limited commonality between them. The Su-57 has the benefit of comparable operational costs to the Su-35 despite its higher weight and advanced stealth features, and boasts a significantly superior performance with a more sophisticated sensor suite and a radar cross section orders of magnitude smaller. Procurement of the Su-57 will make Algeria the third operator of a non-American fifth generation fighter after China and Russia.</p>

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