As reported by Clash Report on May 30, 2025, during the tactical live-fire exercise “Al-Sumoud 2025,” the Algerian People’s National Army officially showed for the first time the operational deployment of the Russian-made S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system. The system was visibly integrated into the exercise, with launcher and radar components employed in the scenarios conducted during the drills.
This public confirmation follows previous indications, such as satellite imagery and port documentation from 2021, that Algeria had taken delivery of S-400 components. The exercise confirmed both the existence and integration of these systems into the command structure of Algeria’s air defense network. This information had not been previously acknowledged officially, despite repeated reporting on the likely presence of such systems in Algeria.
The confirmation occurs in the context of a long-term air defense modernization program pursued by Algeria since the early 2000s. The Territorial Air Defence Forces, established as a separate branch of the armed forces in 1988 after earlier functioning as a directorate under the Air Force, now operate across the national territory. Their structure includes three air defense brigades and five surface-to-air missile regiments. During the period between 2002 and 2014, Algeria implemented a major program of acquisition and upgrading of air defense assets