Image source: topwar.ru
For the first time, Su-30MKA multirole fighters began to carry out a combat mission abroad. They are part of the Algerian Air Force, which purchased 74 aircraft for a total of about $4.2–4.5 billion between 2006 and 2019.
As indicated in the publication Defensa.com On the night of August 28-29, a coup attempt took place in the capital of Niger, Niamey. The main attack was directed at airbase 101, where, according to the author, the aircraft of the Niger Air Force and foreign contingents, including units of the Russian African Corps and the Italian army, are based.:
On August 30, the Algerian Defense Ministry announced that the Su-30 fighters were being sent "in response to a request from the authorities of Niger to carry out a mission to support the country's armed forces in the fight against an attempt to destabilize." As a result, less than 24 hours after the suppression of the coup attempt, 4 Algerian Su-30MKA landed in Niamey, accompanied by an IL-78 tanker and an Il-76 military technical cooperation aircraft. The publication points out about this:
Su-30MKA of the Algerian Air Force with RVV-MD missiles at the airfield in Niamey:
Image source: topwar.ru
According to the author, the Su-30MKA will be responsible for air cover over the capital, serve as a deterrent for potential rebels, as well as provide limited reconnaissance and strike support if their mission extends to border areas actively interacting with armed groups.:
As indicated in the publication, the deployment of Algerian combat aircraft cannot be considered in isolation from the foreign presence in Niger.:
Meeting of Algerian officers with the leadership of Niger:
Image source: topwar.ru
As a result, as he points out, the Nigerian authorities now have Russian support on the ground and Algerian in the air.
For our part, we note that historically Algeria has strictly adhered to the principle of military non-interference and inviolability of borders. Until recently, the country's constitution explicitly prohibited sending regular troops abroad. The situation changed only after the 2020 constitutional referendum, which allowed limited participation in peacekeeping missions.
Thus, the deployment of combat aircraft to Niamey officially closed the era of Algeria's "closed" military policy, turning the Su-30MKA from an instrument of passive defense into a means of geopolitical influence in the Sahel.
