Algerian National Navy


The Algerian Naval Force is the naval branch of the Algerian military. The naval force operates from multiple bases along the country's nearly 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. Algerian forces are an important player in the Western Mediterranean.
As with other Algerian military branches, the naval force 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 Naval Force played an important role in the western Mediterranean between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. It was a leading military force that ensured not only the defense of the Regency of Algiers, but also of international shipping traveling through the Mediterranean. Notable legendary leaders were the Barbarossa brothers, Kheir Edine and Hassan Agha.
The origins of the Algerian Naval Force
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 Naval Force 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 a fierce battle began between Muslims and Christians for control of various ports in the Western Mediterranean, resulting 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.
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 Naval Force, which was undertaken by building initially of four small ships war, over time, a real military industry was born through several shipyards who provided the Algerian Naval Force 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 Naval Force.
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.
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. The Algerian Navy was officially recreated in 1963 by the Ministry of National Defence, then located at Hotel St. Georges.

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 naval force also operates a technical training school for its personnel at Tamentfoust.

Equipment

The bulk of the Algerian Naval Force 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 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 naval force 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

Amphibious warfare vessels

Surface combatants

Fleet auxiliaries

Aircraft

Modernization

The Naval force 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.

SAM