Algeria’s Su-57E Acquisition: The Birth of Africa’s First Fifth-Generation Air Power

Overview: A Historic Shift in Air Power

In October 2025, leaked internal documents from Russia’s state defence conglomerate Rostec — disclosed by the hacker collective Black Mirror — confirmed one of the most consequential defence deals in recent African history: Algeria’s acquisition of 12 Su-57E stealth fighters, the export variant of Russia’s fifth-generation combat aircraft.
If fully executed, Algeria would become the first country in the world to field Su-57E units and the only nation in Africa or the Arab world to operate fifth-generation stealth aircraft — a transformation that elevates the Algerian Air Force into the top tier of global air combat capabilities.
The leaked procurement tables, cross-referenced with internal contract codes (“012”), outline delivery schedules beginning in late 2025, a training pipeline for Algerian pilots already underway in Russia, and an estimated total program value approaching $1 billion USD.

From Speculation to Confirmation: Rostec Leaks and the “012” Contract

Rumours of Algeria’s interest in the Su-57E had circulated since 2019, but the October 2025 leak provided the first hard evidence of a signed export deal.
The documents — including pricing, production coefficients, and delivery milestones — reveal that:

• 12 Su-57E aircraft are on order under customer code “012”.
• Delivery window: late 2025–2028, with partial assembly in Russia and integration of Algerian-specific avionics.
• Advance payment: approximately 15%, consistent with Rostec’s internal export contract policy.
• Complementary acquisitions: 14 Su-34 strike aircraft and an inventory of electronic warfare systems (Khibiny-M, L-175V).

This positions Algeria not only as a testbed customer for Russia’s export fifth-generation platform but also as a strategic launch partner in Moscow’s post-sanctions re-entry into the global defence market.

The Su-57E: Fifth-Generation Capability in Detail

The Sukhoi Su-57E combines low observability, supermanoeuvrability, and multirole capacity in a single platform.

Key performance parameters:

• Top speed: Mach 2.4; service ceiling: 19,000 m.
• Combat radius: 2,150–3,500 km (depending on payload).
• Propulsion: Twin Saturn Izdeliye 30 engines with three-axis thrust vectoring.
• Sensors: Five AESA radars (270° coverage), multispectral IR tracking, integrated EW suite.
• Armament: Four internal bays for long-range K-77M missiles and precision air-to-surface weapons.

For Algeria, the acquisition of such a system signifies a quantum leap in operational capability — enabling beyond-visual-range air dominance, deep-strike capacity, and persistent deterrence across North Africa, the Sahel, and Mediterranean approaches.

Strategic Calculus: Why Algeria Was Chosen

Russia’s decision to designate Algeria as the first export recipient is not merely commercial; it reflects deep political trust and enduring defence cooperation.
Since the 1960s, Algiers has maintained a strategic defence partnership with Moscow, characterized by long-term procurement consistency and doctrinal alignment.

By selecting Algeria:

• Moscow cements influence in the Maghreb and secures a showcase client for the Su-57E program.
• Algiers reinforces its doctrine of strategic autonomy, maintaining non-alignment between Western and Eastern blocs.
• The move signals to Washington and Paris that Algeria’s defence posture is increasingly independent, capable of balancing Western systems with advanced Eastern platforms.

Integration into Algeria’s Force Structure

The Su-57E will integrate alongside Algeria’s current high-performance fleet:

• Su-30MKA multirole fighters for regional air defence.
• MiG-29M2/S interceptors for rapid response.
• Su-34 strike bombers for long-range precision missions.

Combined with S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, this creates one of Africa’s first layered defence ecosystems, capable of networked airspace control and denial.
Algeria’s Air Force, already among the continent’s most advanced, will now field an integrated fifth generation-plus force, able to dominate in detection, range, and survivability.

Economic and Technological Dimensions

At an estimated unit cost of $50 million, the Su-57E offers a cost-to-performance ratio roughly half that of Western equivalents such as the F-35.

The $1 billion contract includes:

• Aircraft delivery and systems integration.
• Training of pilots and maintenance crews.
• Technical infrastructure and spare-parts support.
• Multi-year logistics and software updates.

This structure ensures operational autonomy for Algeria, reducing dependence on external maintenance channels — a critical factor for sovereign defence planning.

Regional and Geopolitical Consequences

North African Balance

The acquisition introduces a generational asymmetry in the Maghreb. Morocco’s F-16 fleet, though upgraded, cannot match the stealth and detection range of the Su-57E. Egypt’s Rafales and MiG-29s also fall short in low-observability operations.

Sahel and Mediterranean Implications

The Su-57E’s extended range allows Algeria to project air presence deep into the Sahel — reinforcing counter-terrorism support and surveillance — and to secure maritime corridors across the Mediterranean basin.

Sanctions Context

Rather than being enabled by a post-election rollback, this deal unfolds despite the continued presence of U.S. CAATSA authorities. While enforcement emphasis can vary over time, there has been no formal legal relaxation that would, on its own, facilitate Russian defense exports. Algeria’s approach illustrates how middle powers navigate sanctions-era constraints through diversified diplomacy, financing, and procurement channels.

Risks and Challenges

• Operational integration risk: Assimilating fifth-generation systems into a mixed legacy fleet requires new doctrines, datalinks, and maintenance ecosystems.
• Supply chain vulnerability: Western sanctions could affect avionics components or fuel logistics.
• Escalatory perception: Neighbours may interpret Algeria’s modernization as an arms-race trigger, particularly amid tensions with Morocco.
• Governance and transparency: The Rostec leak and internal pricing tables highlight the opacity of Russian procurement mechanisms, which could complicate oversight or financing structures.

Regional Stability and the “Strategic Deterrence Doctrine”

Algeria frames this modernization not as aggression but as preventive stability.

Its defence policy emphasizes:

• Deterrence through technological superiority.
• Diplomacy backed by credible force.
• Regional peacekeeping capacity supported by modern air reconnaissance.

A capable Algerian Air Force may indeed serve as a stabilizing counterweight in North Africa, discouraging unilateral interventions and supporting multilateral crisis management.

Intelligence Beyond the Aircraft

The Su-57E’s arrival in Algeria is more than an arms deal — it is a signal of shifting global defence alignments and a laboratory of fifth-generation integration outside traditional Western alliances.
While this report synthesizes open and leaked information, African Security Analysis (ASA) provides classified-grade, costed analyses for decision-makers requiring predictive insight, escalation modelling, and defence governance advisory.

Decision-makers and institutional clients seeking deeper situational awareness on the Maghreb–Sahel air power evolution and post-sanctions Russian defence trade should contact ASA directly for customized briefings.
ASA is closely monitoring this transition through its Defence Intelligence Program, combining satellite imagery, contract-chain analytics, and procurement forensics.