Algeria Sets Up Airbase Near Moroccan Border With 2 MiG-29M2 Fighters

Algeria has completed a new military airbase just 72 kilometers from the Moroccan border, stationing two MiG-29M2 fighter jets and building up a network of combat infrastructure in the volatile Tindouf region, according to satellite intelligence obtained by the Atlantic Observatory for Defense and Armament (AODA).

Algerian sources told Defense Mirror that the airstrip in question has existed for 15 years and is not a newly built facility. It is used by older MiG-29s. There are several such airstrips near the border with Morocco, most of which are used for helicopters, while three are used for both jets and helicopters.

Located at 28°52’55″N, 5°49’10″W in Oum el Assel, the base marks a sharp escalation in Algeria’s militarization along the Moroccan frontier. Satellite imagery released by AODA shows two Russian-made MiG-29M2s armed with air-to-air missiles in position, with expanded runways and hardened shelters supporting further deployment of Sukhoi aircraft.

The airbase also houses large-scale ammunition depots, battle tanks redeployed from Tindouf camps, and early warning radar stations positioned at 28°53’53″N, 5°47’22″W and 28°53’34″N, 5°46’48″W. These surveillance systems face directly toward Moroccan territory, forming part of what observers describe as an “aggressive surveillance corridor.”

The Oum el Assel facility operates under Algeria’s 3rd Military Region and is one of at least 25 military installations systematically positioned along the Moroccan border. This includes anti-aircraft systems, artillery units, armored divisions, and radar-guided defenses — some located just 6 to 8 kilometers from Moroccan soil. These military deployments reportedly began in late 2021.