Algeria becomes first African nation to operate stealth fighter following Su-57E testing.

Flight footage recorded in February 2026 confirms that Algeria has started domestic testing of the Su-57E, positioning the country as the first export operator of Russia's Su-57 and the first African air force to introduce a fifth-generation fighter jet into service.

A video recorded on February 5, 2026, by the TikTok user doz.kbran confirms that Algeria has started domestic testing of the Su-57E after receiving the first two stealth fighters in late 2025. The delivery positions Algeria as the first export operator of the Su-57 and the first African and Arab air force to introduce a fifth-generation fighter into service.
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Powered by two Saturn AL-41F1 turbofan engines, the Su-57 features thrust-vectoring nozzles, relaxed static stability, and a digital flight control system enabling high-angle-of-attack maneuvers and up to 11g load factors. (Picture source: UAC and TikTok/doz.kbran)

This follows similar footage dated February 7, 2026, which showed the aircraft flying over terrain consistent with the Ain Beida area, a location repeatedly associated with Algerian Air Force operations. Additional claims accompanying the footage stated that the Su-57E sortie took place in the presence of Su-35 and Su-34ME fighter jets carrying Algerian markings. This activity confirms that Algeria has received and begun operating the export variant of the Su-57, making it the first country outside Russia to do so and marking the first appearance of a fifth-generation fighter in service with an African or Arab air force.

The test flights are directly linked to contracts concluded in 2024 under which Algeria agreed to acquire 14 Su-57E stealth fighters as well as additional Su-35 air superiority fighters and Su-34ME strike aircraft. According to the information available, the first two Su-57Es were delivered to Algeria by late 2025, enabling domestic test flights to begin after pilot training conducted in Russia. The Su-57Es are intended to replace MiG-25 interceptors, including MiG-25PD variants that have been in Algerian service for decades. This replacement objective positions the Su-57E within a broader effort to renew Algeria’s combat aviation fleet amid persistent regional security competition with Morocco, while retaining continuity with Russian manufacturers.

Algeria’s interest in the Su-57 program can be traced back to 2019, when Algerian representatives attended the MAKS air show in Russia and were introduced to the export configuration designated Su-57E. Following that event, negotiations continued over several years with limited public disclosure, reflecting Algeria’s established procurement relationship with Russia and its reliance on Russian combat aircraft and air defense systems. At the time, Algeria was already operating Su-30MKA fighters and assessing options to maintain a high-end air defense and air superiority capability. The Su-57E emerged as a candidate aligned with those long-term objectives.

More concrete indications of Algeria’s commitment appeared in October 2025, when leaked industrial material referenced an Algerian order for 12 Su-57 fighters alongside a potential order for 14 Su-34 strike aircraft. The same material cited a cost figure of about $200 million for avionics associated with those 12 Su-57 jets, while other estimates placed the overall Su-57 deal at roughly $2 billion for 14 fighters. The data also highlighted uncertainty over whether the final contract covered 12 or 14 aircraft, suggesting adjustments during negotiations before deliveries began. Despite these ambiguities, subsequent flight activity indicates that at least part of the order has been fulfilled.

The Sukhoi Su-57 was developed under the PAK FA program initiated in 1999 to field a fifth-generation multirole fighter capable of replacing the MiG-29 and Su-27 in Russian service. Sukhoi’s T-50 design was selected in April 2002, and the first prototype conducted its maiden flight on January 29, 2010. Serial production officially began in July 2019 at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant, with the first serial aircraft delivered in December 2020 after an initial production crash delayed handover. As of the end of 2023, 22 aircraft, including prototypes, had been produced, while a 2019 state contract provides for 76 aircraft to be delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces by 2028. The export configuration, designated Su-57E, was unveiled at MAKS-2019 and subsequently marketed to foreign customers, with Algeria identified as the first confirmed export operator.

The Su-57 is a twin-engine stealth multirole fighter with a maximum takeoff weight of 35,500 kg and an internal fuel capacity of 11,100 kg. It is powered by two Saturn AL-41F1 turbofan engines generating about 142 kN of thrust each with afterburner, while the second-stage Izdeliye 30 engine is under testing for integration before 2027. The aircraft can reach speeds between 2,500 and 2,600 km/h at altitude, with a practical service ceiling of 20,000 meters. Its unrefueled range is stated at 2,800 km, extendable to 5,200 km with one aerial refueling and 7,800 km with two, and estimated combat radius figures are around 1,500 km depending on mission profile. The airframe is designed to sustain load factors up to 11g and incorporates three-dimensional thrust vectoring and a digital fly-by-wire flight control system.

In terms of avionics, the Su-57 integrates the N036 Belka radar suite, consisting of an X-band AESA radar in the nose and additional side-looking and L-band arrays embedded in the airframe, for a total of 1,526 transmit-receive modules. The radar architecture is designed to track multiple targets simultaneously and support engagement in air-to-air and air-to-ground modes. The aircraft is configured for network-centric operations and has undergone testing in coordination with the S-70 Okhotnik unmanned combat aerial vehicle. The cockpit is single-seat and features a wide-area digital display system, onboard oxygen generation, and a K-36-series ejection seat with automated adjustment parameters. The design incorporates internal weapons bays and planform alignment to reduce radar cross-section, with radar-absorbent materials applied to selected surfaces.

The Su-57E can carry up to 7,500 kg of weapons distributed across six internal and twelve external hardpoints, depending on configuration. Internal carriage includes air-to-air missiles such as the R-77M and R-74M2, and strike weapons including the Kh-69, Kh-38, Kh-58USHKE anti-radiation missile, Grom-E1, and guided bombs such as KAB-250, KAB-500, and UPAБ-1500Б-E. The aircraft is equipped with a 30 mm 9A1-4071K internal cannon derived from the GSh-30-1. External pylons can be used for additional stores when low observability is not prioritized. The aircraft is intended to operate in air superiority, ground strike, and maritime strike roles under all-weather conditions.

The introduction of the Su-57E into Algerian service has drawn attention from the United States, where officials have warned that the acquisition could trigger measures under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The CAATSA, enacted in 2017, mandates sanctions on significant transactions with the Russian defense sector and can include restrictions on access to U.S. financial institutions, limitations on dollar-denominated transactions, export license denials under ITAR regulations, asset freezes within U.S. jurisdiction, and targeted measures against officials. Precedents include sanctions imposed on Türkiye following its S-400 purchase, which led to its removal from the F-35 program. In Algeria’s case, the Su-57 is produced by companies such as Rostec and United Aircraft Corporation that are already under U.S. sanctions, meeting the threshold of a significant transaction under Section 231 of CAATSA.

Potential measures could extend beyond an arms embargo to financial and banking restrictions, depending on U.S. executive determinations, as, at the same time, Algeria’s limited reliance on U.S.-supplied military equipment, cited as 14 C-130H transport aircraft and several Bell 412 helicopters, is noted as a mitigating factor. The rationale is both legal and strategic: to deter third countries from financing Russia’s defense industry, to limit Moscow’s access to foreign currency revenues, and to signal that procurement of high-end Russian systems, especially fifth-generation combat aircraft, constitutes alignment with sanctioned sectors of the Russian state. In addition, U.S. policymakers may view the acquisition as affecting regional military balances in North Africa and NATO’s southern flank, reinforcing the argument that the transaction has broader security implications beyond a commercial sale.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.