Algeria turns to U.S. military aid, reducing Russian ties
Algeria and the United States have successfully finalized an agreement to cooperate in the defence field. This effort seeks to provide Algeria with access to American military equipment and counter the growing influence of Russia in the Sahel region. Until now, Algeria has primarily relied on Soviet and Russian equipment.
Algeria is recognized as one of the leading arms importers globally and is the country with the highest defence expenditures in Africa. According to a report by Bloomberg, Algeria's budget for 2025 plans to allocate a record sum of $25.1 billion on defence. The Washington Institute notes that currently, Soviet and Russian military equipment makes up over 85 percent of the entire military inventory used by the Algerian army.
Algeria has been arming itself with Russian equipment for years
In 2021, Algeria signed a significant arms deal with Russia valued at over $7 billion. Current efforts by Algeria focus on finalizing the purchase of Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighters, which feature stealth technology, making them less visible on detection systems.
For many years, Algeria has also been a key client of Russia in the area of naval equipment. The country acquired two Russian diesel-electric submarines from the 877 project series and four 636.6 project units, which are equipped with Kalibr cruise missile silos.
The systematic acquisition of Soviet and Russian equipment has resulted in the Algerian army currently possessing over 2,000 tanks, most of which are T-72 models in various versions. These are complemented by older T-55 and T-62 tanks, as well as newer T-90 machines produced following the dissolution of the USSR.
The Algerian military also employs Soviet-era infantry fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers (BTR-80 and BTR-60), and newer tank support vehicles (BMPT Terminator) produced from 1995 onwards. Among the Soviet artillery Algeria has acquired are the 2S1 Gvozdika and 2S3 Akatsiya systems. More formidable weapons include Iskander-E systems and modern Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft systems.
Currently, Algeria is strengthening relations with the U.S
Due to its contracts with Russia, Algeria was at risk of facing American economic sanctions. In 2022, Marco Rubio, a Republican senator, and the then-U.S. Secretary of State called for such measures.
However, currently, the United States, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, has decided to shift its strategy towards Algeria. Rather than imposing harsh penalties, they are focusing on offering attractive contracts aimed at eliminating Russia as a supplier of arms and a key player in the regions of North and West Africa.
According to analysts from the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), this military rapprochement between Algeria and the U.S. indicates that the country is opening up to closer relations with Washington in response to increasingly strained relations with Russia, with whom it has begun to compete for influence in the Sahel.
