During the 70th anniversary parade of the independence revolution in Algeria, the national armed forces have showcased some real rarities. Like the fully operational MiG-25 combat aircraft in the sky, even though the Algerian Air Force should've bid farewell to these archaic interceptors in 2022. Another one is the Iskander-È [rus.: Искандер-Э] tactical missile system which was walked down the streets alongside other equipment on this event.
We should take a closer look at this unexpected appearance, after all, it was the first public sighting of the system in the Algerian armed forces. The russian-made Iskander-È on the MZKT-7930 chassis was first seen during the preparations for the parade.
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What makes it more interesting is the fact it remained hidden from the public eye for over ten years. According to Algerian and russian mass media, the two countries concluded a contract for the purchase of Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems (SRBM) a whole 11 years ago, in 2013.
A delivery of Iskander-È to a certain North African country was mentioned once by the russians in 2017, de-facto indirectly confirming the deal, although we should keep in mind that Kremlin's media are not the most reliable source of this sort of information.
Also, reports say that by 2017, Algeria had received one system as part of a missile brigade, with 12 launchers included. Then, starting 2018, three more have been delivered, allegedly.
The Military Balance-2024 assessment from the British International Institute for Strategic Studies guide states that "12+" launchers have been recorded in possession with the Algerian military, meaning that potentially higher numbers require confirmation.
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