Head to head · SD Strength Index
Algeria vs Egypt Military Power 2026 Compared
on 4 of 7 areas
| 19 | Air powercounts for 24% | 25 | ||
| 10 | Missiles & strikecounts for 15% | 9 | ||
| 33 | Air & missile defencecounts for 14% | 27 | ||
| 20 | Sea powercounts for 13% | 24 | ||
| 43 | Land forcescounts for 10% | 60 | ||
| 37 | Manpowercounts for 6% | 59 | ||
| 18 | Budget & industrycounts for 18% | 8 |
Key figures
| Algeria | Egypt | |
|---|---|---|
| Defence budget ($bn) | 24.5–25.4 | 2.4–2.6 |
| Active personnel | 130k–140k | 438k |
| Reserves | 150k | 479k |
| Combat aircraft | 160–220 | 400–480 |
| Fifth-generation fighters | 2–6 | 0 |
| Attack helicopters | 42–48 | 85–100 |
| Main battle tanks | 1,400–1,500 | 2,500–3,500 |
| Aircraft carriers | 0 | 0 |
| Submarines | 6 | 8 |
| Naval fleet | 60–90 | 140–250 |
| Ballistic missiles | 0–48 | 9–24 |
| Missile range (km) | 280–500 | 300–450 |
| Long-range air-defence batteries | 8–30 | 8–16 |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | 0 |
Branch by branch
| Air force size Advantage: Egypt | Algeria. An estimated 160 to 220 combat aircraft, led by 58 to 75 Su-30MKAs and 14 MiG-29M/M2s. No airborne early warning aircraft. | Egypt. An estimated 400 to 480 combat aircraft, including 200 to 218 F-16s without AMRAAM, about 32 of 54 Rafales delivered by May 2026 and seven or eight E-2C Hawkeyes. |
| Air reach and new fighters Advantage: Algeria | Algeria. Six Il-78 tankers, an estimated six to 14 Su-35SEs, the first Su-34ME strike jets in 2026 and a reported two to six Su-57E stealth fighters. | Egypt. No tankers and no stealth fighters. The Su-35 order was dropped under US sanctions pressure, and talk of Chinese J-10C fighters has produced no confirmed contract. |
| Air defence Advantage: Even | Algeria. Six to eight S-300PMU2 batteries under Pantsir cover, an estimated 8 to 30 long range batteries in all. S-400 and S-350 deliveries are reported but unconfirmed. | Egypt. S-300VM, older Patriot PAC-2, German IRIS-T and reportedly Chinese HQ-9B, an estimated 8 to 16 long range batteries. A US NASAMS sale worth about $4.67bn was approved in 2025. |
| Missiles Advantage: Algeria | Algeria. Iskander-E ballistic missiles, first shown in November 2024 in unknown numbers, with an estimated reach of up to 500 km, plus Club-S cruise missiles assessed to arm its submarines. | Egypt. An estimated 9 to 24 ballistic missile launchers with ranges of roughly 300 to 450 km. |
| Surface navy Advantage: Egypt | Algeria. Two MEKO A-200AN frigates, three Chinese C28A corvettes, one Type 056 corvette of six ordered and the landing ship Kalaat Beni Abbes. | Egypt. Two Mistral assault ships, three FREMM and three or four MEKO A-200EN frigates and four Gowind corvettes, with an estimated 140 to 250 vessels in all. |
| Submarines Advantage: Algeria | Algeria. Six Kilo class boats, four of them improved Project 636M submarines. | Egypt. Four modern Type 209/1400 submarines and four old Romeo boats that are largely out of service. |
| Land forces and manpower Advantage: Egypt | Algeria. About 135,000 active troops and an estimated 1,400 to 1,500 tanks, led by 508 to 600 T-90SAs, with 42 Mi-28NE attack helicopters. | Egypt. About 438,000 active troops and 479,000 reservists, an estimated 2,500 to 3,500 tanks including some 1,130 M1A1 Abrams, and 85 to 100 attack helicopters. |
| Defence spending Advantage: Algeria | Algeria. About $25bn in 2026, close to 9 per cent of GDP and the largest budget in Africa. | Egypt. An official budget estimated at $2.4bn to $2.6bn in 2025, plus about $1.3bn a year in US military aid and unpublished spending through military-owned businesses. |
If it came to war
| Scenario | Short war | Long war |
|---|---|---|
| A naval clash in the Mediterranean | Algeria Algeria's six Kilo submarines are a hard threat for Egyptian frigates and the two Mistrals, and Egypt has only four modern submarines of its own. | Egypt Egypt's far larger fleet can absorb losses that Algeria's compact surface force cannot, and its frigates and patrol vessels outnumber Algeria's by more than two to one. |
| An air war at long range across Libya | Even Algeria's Il-78 tankers let its Su-30s and Su-35s fly further than Egypt's fighters, which have no tankers, while Egypt's E-2C Hawkeyes and F-16 numbers cover its own airspace. | Egypt Egypt has more than twice as many combat aircraft to replace losses, and Algeria depends on Russian spare parts that already arrive late. |
Who has the stronger military, Algeria or Egypt?
Egypt, on numbers. It has about 438,000 active troops to Algeria's estimated 135,000, backed by 479,000 reservists and 397,000 paramilitary personnel. Silent Dossier estimates 400 to 480 Egyptian combat aircraft against 160 to 220 Algerian, and 2,500 to 3,500 tanks against 1,400 to 1,500. Egypt also has the bigger navy, with two Mistral assault ships and nine to eleven frigates.
Algeria outspends Egypt by a wide margin. Its 2026 defence budget is about $25bn, close to 9 per cent of GDP and the largest in Africa. Egypt's official budget was an estimated $2.4bn to $2.6bn in 2025, before about $1.3bn a year in US military aid and spending by military-owned businesses that is never published. In a straight military comparison, Algeria's cash shows in newer Russian jets, six Kilo submarines and Il-78 tankers, a type Egypt does not operate.
How do the Algeria vs Egypt army numbers compare?
Egypt's ground forces are about twice the size. Around 1,130 M1A1 Abrams form the modern core of its armour, assembled at Factory 200 in Abu Zaabal, and in 2024 Washington approved a rebuild of 555 of them to the M1A1SA standard. Older M60A3 and T-62 tanks make up much of the rest, many of them in storage. Egypt also has an estimated 1,050 self propelled guns, including K9A1EGY howitzers built with South Korea, and 85 to 100 Apache and Ka-52 attack helicopters.
Algeria's army is smaller and more uniform. An estimated 508 to 600 T-90SA tanks lead its armour, with older T-72s behind them, 42 Mi-28NE attack helicopters and BM-30 Smerch and Chinese PHL-03 heavy rocket launchers. More than 70 per cent of its equipment is Russian, which keeps training simple but leaves the army waiting on slow Russian deliveries.
Which air force is better, Algeria's or Egypt's?
Egypt has more aircraft and Algeria has the longer reach. Egypt flies 200 to 218 F-16s without AMRAAM radar guided missiles, some 46 to 50 MiG-29M/M2s and a growing Rafale fleet. About 32 of 54 Rafales had arrived by May 2026, and Cairo asked France for 24 more in September. Seven or eight E-2C Hawkeyes give it airborne early warning that Algeria does not have.
Algeria's fleet is built around an estimated 58 to 75 Su-30MKAs, with 14 MiG-29M/M2s, six to 14 Su-35SEs and the first Su-34ME strike jets, seen in Algerian markings in mid-2026. Russia said in November 2025 that it had delivered two Su-57E stealth fighters to an unnamed foreign customer. Silent Dossier estimates Algeria has two to six, though Algiers has never confirmed them. Six Il-78 tankers let Algerian fighters fly further, and Egypt has no tankers at all.
Which navy is stronger, Algeria's or Egypt's?
Egypt has the stronger surface fleet. It operates the Mistral ships Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar El Sadat, three FREMM frigates, three or four MEKO A-200EN frigates and four Gowind corvettes, three of them built at Alexandria. Algeria has two MEKO A-200AN frigates, three Chinese C28A corvettes, one Type 056 of the six it ordered in 2020 and the landing ship Kalaat Beni Abbes.
Algeria has the stronger submarine force. Its six Kilo submarines include four improved Project 636M boats, assessed to carry Club-S cruise missiles. Egypt counts eight submarines, but only its four German Type 209/1400s are modern, and its four Romeo boats are largely out of service.
Have Algeria or Egypt fought a war recently?
Neither has fought another state in decades. Algeria's last interstate war was in 1963, and its forces have since guarded the Mali, Niger and Libya borders against jihadist groups. In October 2026 its parliament approved sending troops to Niger, the army's first deployment abroad since 1973, and on 31 October the first convoy reached northern Niger escorting some 53 to 60 fuel tankers. The size of the force has not been announced.
Egypt has not fought a state since 1973 either, but its combat record is more recent. It fought a counter-insurgency in North Sinai until 2023 and struck targets in eastern Libya between 2015 and 2020. On 26 October 2026 its parliament authorised military support for Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks, with air defence and aircraft expected rather than ground troops. No deployment had been confirmed by early November.
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Questions readers ask
Who would win a war between Algeria and Egypt?
Egypt would probably win a long war, with more than three times Algeria's active troops, about twice its tanks and more than twice its combat aircraft. The two do not share a border, so the fighting would start in the air and at sea, where Algeria's tankers and submarines narrow the gap.
Does Algeria have a strong military?
Yes. Its 2026 defence budget of about $25bn is Africa's largest, and it fields an estimated 58 to 75 Su-30MKA fighters, six Kilo submarines, six to eight S-300PMU2 batteries and 508 to 600 T-90SA tanks. Egypt's larger forces still put it ahead.
Is Egypt's army bigger than Algeria's?
Yes, by a wide margin. Egypt has about 438,000 active troops and 479,000 reservists. Silent Dossier estimates Algeria's active strength at about 135,000, with 150,000 reservists and some 170,000 paramilitary personnel.
Does Algeria have Su-57 stealth fighters?
Probably a few. Russia said it delivered two Su-57Es to an unnamed foreign customer in November 2025, and Silent Dossier estimates Algeria has two to six. Algeria has not confirmed the purchase. Egypt has no stealth fighters.
Which spends more on defence, Algeria or Egypt?
Algeria, by far. It budgets about $25bn for 2026. Egypt's official defence budget was an estimated $2.4bn to $2.6bn in 2025, plus about $1.3bn a year in US military aid and unpublished spending through military-owned businesses.