New details transpired regarding the First export contract for Su-57 multirole fighter aircraft, signed between the russian federation and Algeria in February 2025. According to Army Recognition citing Algerian and russian state media reports, a batch of six combat jets is to be delivered in late 2025.
Against the current realities of the russian military-industrial complex, the plan is ambitious indeed, raising reasonable skepticism. But perhaps more important is whether Moscow can satisfy Algiers' appetites for weaponry to this advanced aircraft, namely Kh-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles.
Read more: russia Shows Su-34 in Desert Camo: Hint of a Major Deal or Gaslighting?
Russian Su-57 fighter jet spotted flying with two Kh-59 air-launched cruise missiles. pic.twitter.com/2d7Buk3Xgf — Clash Report (@clashreport) October 20, 2024
First, about the aircraft itself, the estimated production rates of Su-57 will make it hard to provide the necessary quantity in time. The Kremlin's plan is to achieve production pace of 16 Su-57s yearly, hypothetically making both domestic acquisitions and exports feasible.
However, in practice, the manufacture has been slow over the past years. The International Institute for Strategic Studies counted 19 Su-57 fighters in service with the russian Aerospace Forces in April 2025. Seven of them were delivered throughout 2023–2024, hinting at the real scale of production at present. Similar numbers were also listed in the breakdown by polish Defence24. In fact, just a year ago, Su-57 assembly lines in russia were nothing like one would expect from a country that declared a transition to a war economy.
On top of the fighters themselves, Algeria wants associated strike capabilities, especially air-to-surface weapons to support operations against Morocco. This is where the bottleneck of these plans.
Generally, Algeria had no significant problems acquiring various missiles from russia. Earlier, the African country revealed the fact of having russian-supplied Iskander missiles, hidden from the public eye for 10 whole years. There was also an undisclosed number of Kalibr LACMs purchased to arm Algerian Navy's Kilo-class submarines (two Project 877 and four improved Project 636.6 subs).
However, Kh-59 and its upgraded variant Kh-69, employed by Su-57 aircraft, are not available in such abundance as other weapons. Both are actively used by russian invasion forces in the ongoing war against Ukraine, primarily for strikes on Ukrainian critical infrastructure.
The manufacturer is apparently trying to ramp up production but struggles to keep up with the demand as Su-57s are sometimes seen using old Kh-59s despite the risks it poses, in part by increasing the workforce. The exact scale remains unknown, though.
In other words, the capacity to supply Algeria with weapons for their newly-acquired Su-57 will depend on russia's ability to increase output and on the development of its war with Ukraine.
Read more: Su-57 With Kh-59 Missiles: All You Need to Know of russia's War Capacity in One Photo
