Algeria has demonstrated the operation of its Russian diesel-electric submarines in the Mediterranean Sea, including preparation for weapon deployment and the launch of a cruise missile. Footage released by Algerian state media once again showed a situation unusual for their age: the country maintains a fleet of six Russian-made submarines, with the first two entering service back in 1987–1988.
The Algerian submarine fleet was formed in several stages. First, the country received two Project 877EKM boats – the same family that Russia refers to as the "Paltus" project. They underwent subsequent repairs and modernizations, and then four more modern Project 636 submarines were added. The first two of these were ordered in 2006 and entered service in 2010–2011, while Algeria received two more, built at the "Admiralteyskie Verfi" in St. Petersburg, in 2018 and commissioned them into the fleet in January 2019.
As a result, the fleet not only survived but also changed generations without abandoning the original platform: today, two boats belong to Project 877EKM, and four more to Project 636. For Algeria, this is especially important due to the role of its submarine forces: diesel-electric Kilo submarines are primarily designed for operations against surface ships and submarines, and their design is optimized for operations in relatively shallow waters.
Project 636 submarines are 72.6 m long, 9.9 m wide, can dive to approximately 300 m, and reach speeds of up to 25 knots underwater.
Against this backdrop, a comparison with India is particularly illustrative. India operates the same Soviet basis but has faced a different problem – an aging fleet. The Indian fleet initially received ten 877EKM submarines, but some boats have already been decommissioned, and further maintenance of the remaining submarines is becoming increasingly difficult.