Algerian National Navy

Algerian National Navy القوات البحرية الجزائرية
Algerian Naval badge
Active	1516 1962 – Present
Country	Algeria
Branch	Navy
Size	30000 personnel [1]
Garrison/HQ	L'AMIRAUTE, Algiers
Anniversaries	February 2, 1967
Equipment	201 vessels, 30 helicopters, 2 MPA Aircraft
Commanders
Current commander	Mohamed-Larbi Haouli
Insignia
Naval Ensign

The Algerian National Navy (ANN; Arabic: القوات البحرية الجزائرية‎) is the naval branch of the Military of Algeria. The navy operates from multiple bases along the country's nearly 1,000 km (620 mi) coastline, fulfilling its primary role of monitoring and defending Algeria's territorial waters against all foreign military or economic intrusion. Additional missions include coast guard and maritime safety missions as well a projection of marine forces (fusillers marins). Algerian forces are an important player in the Western Mediterranean.

As with other Algerian military branches, the navy was built and structured with assistance from the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but has also relied on other sources for equipment in some areas. Since the end of the Cold War, Russia has remained an important partner, but Algeria has increasingly sought additional sources for equipment as well as building its own shipbuilding capacity.

History

The Algerian Navy played an important role in the western Mediterranean between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, where she was a leading military force that ensured not only the defense of the Regency of Algiers but also of international ships making a passage through the Mediterranean, led notably legendary sailors such as Barbarossa brothers or Kheir Edine and Hassan Agha.

The origins of the Algerian Navy (1147 - 1516))

At that time the Maghreb under the control of the Almohad dynasty which also ruled the current Spain "al-Andalus" and 1147 to 1269. The Navy was born with the installation by Abd El Moumen naval shipyards the Almohad empire in the ports of Oran and Honaine. But the reign of this great dynasty would soon be glazed at first by a few internal disagreements, mainly related to the difficulties of managing a vast territory. The situation worsened further when a part of the Iberian peninsula again passed under the control of Christian rulers in the wake of the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, the decomposition of the kingdom accelerated with the formation of three states in North Africa. After the total destruction of the kingdom Almohad in 1269 began a fierce battle between Muslims and Christians for control of various ports in the Western Mediterranean, this has resulted in the occupation by the Spanish in several regions algcomme The Peñon of Algiers, Oran and Bejaia, which led the indigenous peoples of these regions to call on pirates to free the Christian invaders, which was done through sending and Aroudj Hayreddin Barbarossa brothers in 1516, they managed to build a fleet.

Khayr ad-Din

The privateer Oruç Reis, eldest of Khayr ad-Din

Described by some historians as one of the greatest naval admirals in history, the Barbarossa brothers would probably be of Albanian origin, several hypotheses are cited in this regard but none of them have been confirmed definitively, however, the general trend that emerges from the various historical references tends to reinforce the former. In the description given to them, It is said that the youngest Kheire Edine was brighter and stronger corpulence as its big brother while Aroudj Kheir Edine was known for his knowledge in navigation and maritime battles, he was nicknamed Barbarossa . He engaged in piracy for the sole purpose of revenge crossed, especially following his imprisonment for several years in the jails of the Christian rulers, courage and great skill allowed him to escape, fleeing afterwards to Tunis where King Mohamed Ibn Hafss allowed him to build a naval base from which he managed to be the first steps of its military fleet. He moved later to head its fleet to Algeria to its liberation from the Spanish colonization. What he managed to do by releasing initially Algiers, which he conferred the status of capital of a new Algerian state, several years later, he reunites his fleet and left immediately to conquer the last bastion Spanish in Algeria Mers El Kebir, he managed to free.

Phase of construction and consolidation

After the liberation of all the regions that were under Spanish influence, it was therefore quite possible to consider the construction of the Algerian navy, which was undertaken by building initially of four small ships war, over time, a real military industry was born through several shipyards (especially in Cherchell, Bejaia and Algiers) who provided the Algerian Navy a considerable number of warships equipped with cannons developed entirely by skills Algerian. From there a new page was opened for Algeria which through its Marine could impose its leadership in the Mediterranean for nearly three centuries.

This rule also allowed him to repel several attacks from a number of European countries, starting with the one that was led by Charles V in October 1541, the troops of the latter were severely defeated by the Algerian fleet which was then under the command Hassan Agha, other attacks were carried out by the Spaniards in the 16th and 17th centuries, but they were all rejected by the Algerian Navy.

Other attacks of importance, the American expedition of 1815 and one that led the British and Dutch Marines on Algiers in August 1816, the latter suffered great losses and were prevented from landing at Algiers. However the Algerian armada also lost a large number of vessels.

Abraham Duquesne delivering Christian captives in Algiers after the bombing in 1683

Ornate Ottoman cannon found in Algiers on 8 October 1581 by Ca'fer el-Mu'allim. Length: 385 cm, cal:178 mm, weight: 2910 kg, stone projectile. Seized by France during the invasion of Algiers in 1830. Musée de l'Armée, Paris.

The bombardment of Algiers by Lord Exmouth, August 1816, painted by Thomas Luny

Some Algerian squadrons took part to the Greek war of independence from 1821 on, as suppletive forces to the Ottoman fleet, and lost several ships in various engagements throughout the war.

In June 1827, Charles X launched a naval blockade on Algiers and three years later a military expedition which finally took the city in 1830. Algeria, endured for a century and 32 years of French rule until July 5, 1962, when the country regained its independence.

Bases

Principal naval bases are located at Algiers, Annaba, Mers el-Kebir, Oran, Jijel and Tamentfoust. Mers el Kébir is home to the OMCN/CNE shipbuilding facilities where several Algerian vessels have been built. Algeria's naval academy at Tamentfoust provides officer training equivalent to that of the army and the air force academies. The navy also operates a technical training school for its personnel at Tamentfoust.

Equipment

The bulk of the Algerian Navy is still based on Cold War designs, although work is being done to both acquire new platforms as well as modernize existing equipment. The surface fleet is equipped with a mixture of smaller ships well suited to coastal and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) patrol work. The fleet is led by three Koni class frigates which have been updated with more modern systems. These are due to be augmented in the coming years by a pair of MEKO A-200 frigates which will represent the most modern equipment of the navy when they enter service, also, Algeria signed a contract with China Shipbuilding Trading Company for the construction of three light frigates about 2,800 tons full load. A mixture of six corvettes and off-shore patrol vessels complement the frigates, while a large number of smaller boats cover the role of coastal patrol. Algeria had maintained a relatively large fleet of Osa class fast attack craft by the end of the Cold War, but it is questionable whether any of these remain in operational use.

Algeria has had a small submarine presence in the Mediterranean with a pair of Kilo class patrol submarines, though the recent acquisition of an additional four upgraded boats will expand this presence significantly. Their amphibious warfare capacity has traditionally been limited with a small group of landing ships essentially for coastal transport roles. This capacity will be greatly upgraded with the planned acquisition of an amphibious transport dock capable of supporting more robust operations. In the area of civil support, the purchase of seagoing rescue tugs will mark the first ability of an African nation to provide valuable services to economic and commercial operators in the Western Mediterranean.

The Algerian military has long maintained a strong veil of secrecy over its organization and equipment, making an exact accounting of operational vessels difficult to ascertain. Open sources are known to vary widely in their reports of several aspects of Algerian equipment.

Submarines

Class	Photo	No.	Ship	Year Commissioned	Note
Submarine(8)
Project 636		4[2]		2010–present	Two project 636M in service since 2010. Two project 636.1 ordered in 2014, the first one delivered in 2018.[3][4][5]
Project 877EKM		2	Rais Hadi Mubarek Class	1987–1988	Two original Kilo-class submarines in service, they were delivered in 1987 and 1988.[3] Refitted and upgraded in 1993 and 1996.[6]
Romeo-class submarine		2	Project 633		Used as training ships.[7]

Amphibious warfare vessels

Class	Photo	No.	Ship	Displacement	Year Commissioned	Note
Amphibious transport dock (1)
Kalaat Béni Abbès Class		1	Kalaat Béni Abbès	9,000 tonnes	2015	Improved San Giorgio, Ordered in 2011(+1 in option)[8][9][10]'
Landing Ships (2)
Kalaat Beni Hammed		472	Kalaat Beni Hammed	2,450 tonnes	1984	Built by Brooke Marine in Lowestoft, UK
		473	Kalaat Beni Rached	2,450 tonnes	1984	Built by Vosper Thornycroft in Woolston, UK

Surface combatants

Class	Photo	No.	Ship	Displacement	Year Commissioned	Note
Frigates (8)
MEKO A200		2	Erradi (910) El-Moudamir (911)	3,700 tonnes	2016-2017	2 in service with an option for 2 more.[11]
C28A		3	Adhafir (920) El Fatih (921) Ezzadjer (922)	2,800 tonnes	2015–2016	3 in service with an option for 3 new version of C28A.[12]
Koni-class frigate		3	Mourad Rais Rais Kellik Rais Korfo	2000 tonnes	1985	Modernized in Russia in 2011.[13]
Corvettes (7)
Project 20382 "Tigr" corvette				2,200 tonnes	2018	2 ships on order.[14][15]
Nanuchka-class corvette[16]		3	Rais Ali	660 tonnes	1982	In service, Project 1234E built by Vympel Shipyard in Rybinsk, modernized in 2012.
Djebel Chenoua Class corvette		4	El Kirch	540 tonnes	2002	Built by OMCN / CNE in Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria. Armed with 4C802 ASM and AK630 CIWS.
Patrol Boats (43)
Osa II class missile boat		8			1978
Kebir class patrol boat		14	El Yadekh	250	1982	The first two units built by Brooke Marine.
FPB98 MKI Ocea class patrol boat		21	Denebi		2008-2011	Built by Ocea France.[17][18]
Mine countermeasures (1)
Lerici-class minehunter		1(+2)	El-Kasseh 1	600 tonnes	2016	In service.[19]

Fleet auxiliaries

Class	Photo	No.	Ship	Displacement	Year Commissioned	Note
Survey ship
El Idrissi		673	El Idrissi	540 tonnes	1980	Built by Matsukara Zosen in Hirao, Japan.
Training ship
Soummam		937	Soummam	5,500 tonnes	2006	5,500 tons (full load).
EL Mellah		938	El Mellah (the sailor)		2017	A Three Mats tall ship constructed In Poland Gdansk.
Salvage ship
El Mourafik		261	El Mourafik	600 tonnes	1990	Built in China
High Seas Tow Vessel
El Mounjid		701	El Mounjid	3,200 tonnes	2012	Type UT 515 CD built in Norway and Motorization by Rolls-Royce.
		702	El Moussif	3,200 tonnes	2012
		703	El Moussanid	3,200 tonnes	2012

Modernization

Algerian Sailors conduct Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO).

The Navy is currently being upgraded with the following technological developments: the existing units are being modernized, with the submarine force strengthened by two new Kilo class submarines (last generation).^[26]

• One LPD form Italy in 2014.
• Four MEKO A200 frigates from Germany.
• Three corvettes C28A with option of three more produced locally. Radar and electronic equipment will be supplied by Thales, and mounted in Algeria. They will be built at Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard.^[27][28][29]
• Two Project 20382 "Tigr" corvettes from Russia.
• 21 units of the type FPB98 MKI Ocean Patrol Boat.^[17][18]
• 12 units of Alusafe 2000 high speed rescue and patrol vessel.^[30]

Munitions

See also

• List of Algerian ships

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

External links

• Algerian Navy ships and equipment