A spreadsheet hacked by the Black Mirror collective has revealed, for the first time, the entire extent of Algeria’s purchase of the Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bomber a deal that not only solidifies Algeria’s position as a major operator of Russian fighters in Africa but also represents the first export of the ‘Fullback’ platform. The report, from Russia’s Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies, outlines the delivery of 14 Su-34s with a comprehensive electronic warfare suite worth over $175 million.
Systems included are the L-265VE “Khibiny-U” radar jammer unit, the L-277VM signals intelligence system, and L-175VSh/L-175VU direction jamming pods, constituting a multi-tiered EW package specifically designed for the export-version Su-34ME. These upgrades are intended to improve survivability against contemporary air defense systems, a capability that was developed in Russia’s own combat deployment of the Su-34 against Ukraine. In that theatre, the aircraft has been flown in conjunction with Su-35S combat aircraft, employing hi-lo-hi bombing profiles to penetrate Patriot missile batteries and conduct precision-guided glide bombs and, in some cases, employment of the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
The Su-34ME maintains the Su-34M’s basic configuration of a twin-seat, twin-engine, supersonic strike aircraft all-weather capability based on the Su-27 Flanker lineage. The Saturn AL-31FM1 turbofans drive it at Mach 1.8, with a combat radius up to 4,500 kilometers and service ceilings up to 17,000 meters. Its titanium armor cockpit, side-by-side seating, and three-surface configuration enable low-altitude penetration and extended operations. The airframe can carry a maximum of 12,000 kilograms of ordnance on 12 hardpoints, from anti-ship and anti-radiation missiles to guided bombs, which confers on it interdiction as well as close air support missions.
The Algerian journey to the procurement has been quite lengthy. The initial negotiations for Su-34s started in 2008, with periodic announcements of contracts and production initiations in the next ten years. By 2019, agreements were said to include the Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-57E, with delivery due for completion by 2025. The leaked spreadsheet verifies that in addition to the 14 Su-34s, Algeria will take delivery of 12 Su-57E stealth fighters the first export of Russia’s fifth-generation ‘Felon’ and Su-35s initially earmarked for Egypt but redirected after Cairo canceled its order due to threatened U.S. sanctions.
Su-34s will phase out Algeria’s old Su-24MK2 fleet, while the Su-57E and Su-35 purchases put the nation’s air force at the vanguard of African air capabilities. The fusion of heavy strike capability, stealth penetration, and air supremacy platforms would potentially shift the balance of power in the region to a new level, taking Algeria’s influence deep into the heart of Africa. Observers point out that the Su-34’s range and payload would make strike operations as distant as the Persian Gulf or central Europe possible, a reach made even greater by its EW capabilities and integration with long-range missiles.
The documents that were leaked also reveal similar Russian production for Iran, where a maximum of 48 Su-35S fighters are being manufactured to replace Tehran’s aging U.S.-built F-14 Tomcat fleet. Iranian Su-35s will be equipped with Khibiny-M EW pods and Irbis-E radar, possibly built under local oversight at Shahid Babayi Air Base. This comes after Russia shipped decommissioned MiG-29s to Iran, filling capability gaps until the Su-35s are delivered between 2026 and 2028.
For the Russian defense sector, the Algerian Su-34 contract is a historic moment. As Vadim Badekha, General Director of the United Aircraft Corporation, recently put it, “Our employees at the factories are constantly improving production processes to ensure the necessary production volumes of aircraft for the tasks of the Russian Ministry of Defense.” Success in exporting the Su-34 notwithstanding at-home demand pressure from the Ukraine war is a sign that Moscow is determined to use its battle-tested platforms for geopolitical leverage and income, even if sanctions and production snags complicate its aerospace industry.
