Algeria may soon expand its air force with Chinese-made aircraft. In addition to the Chengdu J-10 fighter, the country is reportedly considering acquiring Shaanxi KJ-500 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. Although neither Beijing nor Algiers has officially confirmed the reports, the claims have circulated for several weeks across Algerian and Chinese social media.
The reports appear to have originated with the Arab OSINT account Sada Armies (SadaArmies) on X, which has previously gained attention for accurately predicting several Algerian defense procurements, including the acquisition of the S-400 air defense system and russian combat aircraft.
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According to these reports, negotiations are already at an advanced stage, with deliveries allegedly scheduled to begin in 2027. The package could also include PL-15E long-range air-to-air missiles, the export version of China's latest beyond-visual-range weapon.
Algeria has a long history of conducting major arms purchases in secrecy and keeping new equipment out of the public eye for years. One notable example came in 2024, when the country publicly displayed the russian Iskander-E short-range ballistic missile system for the first time during celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the Algerian War. Unofficial reports, however, suggested that the contract had been signed as early as 2013, with deliveries beginning before 2017.
A similar pattern surrounded the Su-57. Algeria reportedly became the first foreign customer for russia's fifth-generation fighter, keeping the acquisition secret from late 2024. The purchase became public only in early 2025, and photographs of Algerian-operated aircraft have since emerged.
Until now, Algeria has remained one of russia's most important customers for combat aircraft. Earlier this year, documents reportedly obtained from a leaked Rostec archive indicated that Algeria had ordered 12 Su-57 fighters and 14 Su-34 fighter-bombers. Deliveries of the Su-57 fleet are expected to be completed this year, while the first four Su-34 aircraft reportedly arrived in June. Defense Express has also previously examined whether Algeria could eventually receive the Su-35SE fighters originally built for Egypt and later reportedly earmarked for Iran.
The reasons behind Algeria's reported interest in Chinese aircraft remain unclear. The most plausible explanation is a desire to diversify its sources of military equipment rather than relying almost exclusively on russian suppliers.
China may have offered more attractive pricing, delivery schedules, financing terms, or weapons packages. Another possibility is that Algeria intends to continue modernizing its air force with both russian and Chinese aircraft. Today, the backbone of the Algerian Air Force consists primarily of Su-30MKA fighters and MiG-29 aircraft.
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