Under a deal between the two countries, Algeria is to acquire sixty Chinese drones by the end of this year. This acquisition helps Algeria achieve several objectives: to strengthen military capabilities, increase combat readiness, keep pace with technological developments in armaments, and reinforce the Algerian Air Force in the face of escalating threats by terrorist organizations. Overall, the drones help to preserve national security, and emphasize Algeria’s military superiority vis-à-vis Morocco. This also serves to promote Algeria’s standing in the Middle East and Africa.   

On 29 January 2022, the Defense Express website reported Algeria’s acquisition of five CH5 Rainbow drones, produced by AVIC and armed with anti-tank missiles and guided bombs. Algeria also requested WingLoong drones, expected to be delivered in March 2022.

Important Motives

The acquisition of Chinese drones by the Algerian armed forces can be explained by a number of factors, most notably:

1. Strengthening military capabilities: The acquisition of the new drones is part of the Algerian effort to strengthen its military capabilities through the development of its air fleet, especially since these aircrafts have important features. These models can fly continuously for approximately half an hour and cover up to 10,000 km at a speed of up to 220 km per hour. These aircrafts, dubbed ‘suicide drones’, have proved efficient in combat in a number of wars and field exercises. A prototype of the drone was first presented to the public during the China Air Expo in Zhuhai in November 2016. Algeria will also acquire an anti-drone system with a detection span of 500 km, and electronic elimination at 300 km. These acquisitions  raise the readiness of the air force in espionage and air defense.

2. Introducing new technologies: The 60 drones that Algeria will acquire from China are of different models. Algeria has already acquired five CH- 3 and five CH- 4 aircrafts in 2018. This increased the Air Force’s combat efficiency, and contributed to its overall development through the accumulation of technological weapons that enhance its air superiority.

3. Military rivalry with Morocco: Algeria acquired the Chinese drones shortly after Morocco announced its acquisition of 13 Bayraktar TB2 drones manufactured by the Turkish company Baykar. Moreover, Morocco’s agreement with Israel to acquire combat drones  caused anxiety in Algeria, and prompted its deal with China. Algeria is scheduled to receive up to 22 aerial drones, which will be received in succession during the current year, thereby enhancing its military capabilities. These developments constitute part of the ongoing arms race between the Morocco and Algeria, and the efforts undertaken by each state to increase its military capabilities in order to stay ahead, particularly in light of heightened tensions between the two countries,  and the severing of diplomatic relations with Morocco by Algeria as of last August.

4. Countering the rising threat of terrorism: The Algerian armed forces can employ these unmanned aircrafts in their fight against the increasing activities of terrorist groups in the Sahel and Sahara regions, as well as in North Africa. The primary terrorist threats facing Algeria are Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and ISIS, as well as growing security risks on the Algerian-Libyan border. Here, Algeria has seen the importance of obtaining unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that carry out military missions to control its border (about 6,343 km of borders) with neighbouring countries suffering from security crises. When used, UAVs can reduce human casualties in the event of war. In this context, the Algerian Ministry of Defence announced last September that Algerian-manufactured UAVs, Algeria-54s, carried out several aerial reconnaissance missions followed by aerial bombardments targetting terrorist cells.

5. Establishing a strong military standing: Acquiring these drones are part of the Algerian objective to keep pace with technological developments on the global military landscape. This has led it to develop and upgrade its military capabilities, thereby contributing, helping the country strengthen its influence and regional position in the Maghreb region and North Africa, as well as on the African continent.

Significant implications

There are a number of important political and security implications that are closely tied to Algeria’s acquisition of Chinese drones, most notably:

1. Garnering popular support for Algeria’s political leadership: The drone deal is part of the Algerian leadership’s effort to garner public support domestically. The purchase of the UAVs is presented as an effort to enhance the country’s national security and counter external security threats, thereby enhancing the image of President Abdulmajid Tibun. The president is facing opposition from a popular movement that he refuses to recognize, and which he views as an extension of the previous regime. The regime is also facing a number of other domestic issues, especially on the economic level.
   
2. Diversification of arms: The Chinese drone deal is part of the Algerian effort to diversify away from France, Germany, Italy and Russia – the main countries Algeria has  relied on for weapons and military equipment. Additionally, the acquisition of Bayraktar TB2 drones has become difficult due to the US embargo on Turkish drones, and the Canadian embargo on the engines and reconnaissance technologies of these aircrafts. Turkey has also become a source of armaments for the Morocco. Moreover, Algeria was unable to acquire US-manufactured UAVs because American scrutiny made it difficult to complete deals of this type, which led Algeria to resort to China. Some Algerian sources indicated that there was an agreement between Algeria and South Africa in 2016 to manufacture a drone faster than the speed of sound, but the agreement was not concluded and updates on its development have ceased since 2019.
   
3. Algeria’s acquisition of the Chinese UAVs coincided with the start of the new UN envoy Stéphane de Mistura’s mission to resolve the Western Sahara dispute. As Algeria continues its political and military support for the Polisario movement, this makes it a major party that cannot be excluded from any talks or negotiations under the auspices of the UN to resolve this issue. Thus far, Algeria refuses to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region, and supports the demands of the Polisario front for a referendum on self-determination. Therefore, the development of Algeria’s military capabilities leverages its position in the dispute as it continues to refuse participating in negotiations. 

In conclusion, Algeria’s acquisition of Chinese UAVs indicates that political leadership is aware of the need to develop its military capabilities by acquiring powerful defence systems. This will enable Algeria to protect its sovereignty  and territorial integrity against mounting security threats, in a volatile regional environment that is witnessing  escalating  terrorist  activity in the Sahel and Sahara region as well as in Libya. At the same time, the arms race between Algeria and Morocco gains momentum, thereby increasing the prospects of instability in the Maghreb.