https://www.avionslegendaires.net/2020/ ... hoi-su-24/
Like everything related to defense issues, it is difficult to unravel the truth of propaganda when you are interested in Algeria. However, it is now proven that a batch of six Algerian Sukhoi Su-24MKs were modernized at the beginning of this month in Russia while a second batch is due to be very soon. This should provide this country with an almost modern fleet of penetration planes. Their replacement is not on the agenda, despite the efforts of some local "media" to make us believe otherwise.
What is currently revealed is that a group of six Sukhoi Su-24MK ground attack planes have been convoyed to Russia, more specifically to the Rjev plant 514. The planes arrived there at the end of December 2019 and are in the process of finalizing the site. The modernization leads them to the Su-24M2 standard, already in service in the Russian air forces.
Compared to the Su-24MK the Su-24M2 has new avionics in the form of the navigation and attack management system SVP-24 Gefest and new generation equipment GLONASS which must (according to the Russian media) be able to compete with GPS. Indeed the latter is American and totally unsuitable for Soviet or ex-Soviet aircraft. Ukrainian planes are now adapted to GPS.
With GLONASS the guided munitions of Su-24M2 are announced to have metric precision.
Now the Russian media announces that a second batch of six Algerian Su-24MKs will be modernized from the end of July. Thus at the end of 2020 this African country should have a total of twelve Sukhoi Su-24M2. These will be the most modern of its attack aircraft. Because, like the "Su-57 contract", the information announced several months ago according to which the Algerian general staff has acquired twenty Sukhoi Su-34 seems to resemble a smoke screen intended to hide the real problems with this air force: a chronic inability to modernize and a tendency to over-communicate. Including when it shouldn't.
You should know that Algeria and Russia signed the memorandum of understanding and the contract for this modernization in May 2019. Construction was due to start in August. Rumors of payment difficulties between Algiers and Moscow have circulated, explaining the delay in ignition.
It should be noted that all the Algerian Su-24M / MK will not be modified to the Su-24M2 standard. The desire to modernize the fleet comes up against the economic realities of the country.
Above all, Algeria claims to be able to continue its arms race, but at a level which can be described as ultimately quite low. Neighboring Morocco is currently modernizing its American F-16C / D Block 52 multi-role fighters acquired in the early 2000s to make them suitable for anti-ship missions. And Egypt, for its part, is now lining up one of the best fighter planes of the moment, the French Rafale. Algeria is still modernizing planes purchased during the time of the agreements with the USSR.
This is definitely not how it will rise to the rank of African superpower as it claims to be.
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