A Russian official has branded rubbish reports in Algeria that Moscow is manufacturing state-of-art Su-34 fighter jets for the Algerian army, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reports. Reports from Algiers indicated that Moscow is set to deliver a first batch of six Russian Su-34 fighter aircraft to the North African country and that Algerian pilots would start training to fly the aircraft in the summer of 2022. A representative of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) in Russia denied the reports and said that Russia did not engage in manufacturing aircraft for Algeria. It is fitted with air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles, including an advanced system to protect it from anti-aircraft rockets. It can operate in challenging weather conditions, fly for up to four kilometers and carry around eight tons of ammunition.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 18, 2021 23:37 UTC