The Su-57 Does Not Create Algeria’s Air Power: It Merely Adds a New Layer to a Decades-Long Advantage
Since the announcement that Algeria has begun integrating the Su-57 into its air force, parts of the Moroccan media have portrayed the event as a dramatic shift in the regional balance of power. The underlying narrative is that Algeria’s air superiority is a recent phenomenon, supposedly created by the arrival of a fifth-generation fighter. This interpretation overlooks decades of military development. The reality is that Algeria's qualitative edge in air power did not begin with the Su-57. It is the result of a long-term strategy aimed at building a modern, independent, and credible air force capable of protecting Africa's largest country, securing vast borders, and safeguarding critical national interests. Algeria's Air Superiority Predates the Su-57 by Decades When Algeria introduced the MiG-25 in the 1980s, it already possessed interception capabilities unmatched in the Maghreb. At the time, the aircraft's speed, altitude, and interception performance provided Alg...