Arms Race Escalates Between Morocco and Algeria Amid Sahara Dispute

Morocco and Algeria remain at the top of military spending in North Africa, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Algeria’s military spending increased by 76%, reaching $18.3 billion, the "highest level of spending ever recorded by Algeria and the largest annual increase in its spending since 1974," SIPRI said. In contrast, Morocco’s military spending has fallen for the second consecutive year, reaching $5.2 billion. Nevertheless, the two nations "remain by far the largest spenders in the subregion, accounting for 82% of total North African military spending in 2023," SIPRI points out.

In conflict with Morocco, Algeria has turned to China for the production of Type 056 corvettes. The Algerian Minister of Defense announced the start of the construction of Chinese Type 056 corvettes, also called F15A, in the country’s shipyards, reports InfoDefensa. The Type 056 corvettes are light warships of Chinese origin, integrated into their naval fleet from 2012. They are equipped with a 76-millimeter cannon, two other 30-millimeter cannons, as well as four anti-ship missile launchers, eight anti-aircraft missile launchers, and six torpedo tubes.

To recall, Algeria had ordered six Chinese Type 056 ships in 2019, which were to be partially shipped from China and built in local shipyards. The first ship left the CSSC Hudong shipyards in Shanghai for Algeria in March 2023.