РУССКИЙ
11:06 27.05.2026 •
Footage released by Russian sources has for the first time shown Su-34M strike fighters with Algerian Air Force markings, providing the first confirmation that the aircraft have been delivered to the service as its export client, Military Watch Magazine reports.
Although images of the aircraft in desert colours first surfaced in August 2025, it was not confirmed which client they were produced for, with Iran and Sudan considered possible future operators to replace their Su-24M fighters. The Su-34 is the world’s longest ranged fighter type, with its endurance being comparable to those of many types of strategic bombers, providing operational flexibility for a wide range of mission requirements from extended loitering to deep penetration missions. The aircraft is expected to replace the Su-24M strike fighter in Algerian service, much as it has done gradually in the Russian Aerospace Forces from 2014.
With Algeria being the largest export client for the Su-24M, and operating a fleet of close to 40 of the aircraft, it could procure a similar number of Su-34M fighters over the following years, which would revolutionise its fleet’s strike capabilities and increase commonality with the Su-30MKA and Su-35S fighters that form the backbone of its fleet. The Algerian Air Force has rapidly enhanced its capabilities in recent years, and was confirmed to have received its first Su-35s in February 2025, followed by its first Su-57 fifth generation fighters in November. The Su-34 and Su-57 are expected the form the backbone of the future Russian fighter fleet, with the former prized for its longer range and much higher weapons carrying capacity. The possibility of enhancing the Su-34 with Su-57 technologies, including the AL-51F engine, has been raised repeatedly in the past.
The Su-34 began development in the late 1980s in parallel to Soviet and U.S. fifth generation fighter programs, and was conceptualised as a heavily enhanced and enlarged variant of the Su-27 air superiority fighter that had entered service in 1984. The aircraft is approximately 50 percent heavier than the Su-27, allowing for a much increased fuel capacity to facilitate a greater range. Alongside carriage of various types of missiles and bombs, it was revealed in July 2025 that three variants of the Sych universal reconnaissance pod system allowed the aircraft to operate in a much wider range of roles, and collect real-time intelligence while still remaining armed for strike operations. In Algerian service, the aircraft’s ranges and wide range of missile types allow them to launch counterattacks against NATO assets far out to sea and across much of Europe. The Algerian Armed Forces have rapidly re-equipped to deter and if necessary counter a Western assault since NATO launched large scale attacks on its neighbour Libya in 2011.
The Su-34 may be the last new fourth generation fighter type Algeria introduces into service, as future procurement funding is expected to be focused on the procurement of fifth generation fighters. Alongside the Su-57, the Air Force is expected to consider procurements of the Chinese J-35 fifth generation fighter, which is in many respects a much more sophisticated aircraft and has been widely regarded as the most capable fighter type currently available on global export markets. Major U.S.-led military exercises in North Africa from June 2021 simulating attacks on an adversary geographically matching Algeria’s location, and with air defence capabilities very closely resembling those fielded by Algeria including Russian built S-400 missile systems, have strengthened the consensus that Algeria continues to face an imminent threat. Following the toppling of the Syrian government in 2024, Algerian has remained the only Arab state outside the Western sphere of influence.
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