As reported by defense-arabic.com.
According to a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Morocco has emerged as the largest importer of major arms in Africa between 2021 and 2025, surpassing Algeria. This shift in the balance of military procurement is highlighted in a report published in March 2026, which indicates that Morocco's arms imports increased by 12% during this period compared to the previous five years (2016-2020). This surge in military acquisitions has positioned Morocco at the 28th global rank, accounting for approximately 1% of total global arms imports.
In stark contrast, Algeria experienced a dramatic decline of 78% in its arms imports during the same period. This significant reduction has allowed Morocco to take the lead in arms procurement across the African continent from 2021 to 2025. Algeria, now ranked 33rd globally, captures around 0.9% of total global arms imports. SIPRI notes that both Morocco and Algeria have been the most prominent recipients of major arms in Africa over the past five years, with ongoing tensions between the two nations serving as a key factor driving military buildup in the region.
U.S. Dominates as Morocco's Main Arms Supplier
The data from SIPRI underscores Morocco's substantial reliance on Western suppliers, with the United States at the forefront as the primary provider of major arms to the kingdom. Between 2021 and 2025, the U.S. accounted for 60% of Morocco's arms imports, followed by Israel with 24% and France with 10%. These three countries collectively represent the majority of Morocco's military acquisitions during the reported period. This trend reflects Morocco's ongoing efforts to modernize various components of its armed forces, particularly its air force, air defense, and ground forces, by acquiring advanced systems and equipment from American, Israeli, and French sources.
Additionally, SIPRI has indicated that Morocco had outstanding orders for arms from several nations, including the United States and Spain, as of late 2025. This implies that the figures for the 2021-2025 period may not fully capture all the military equipment Morocco had contracted for or was expecting to receive by the end of the period in question.
Drastic Decline in Algeria's Arms Imports
On the other hand, Algeria recorded one of the largest decreases in global arms imports during the same timeframe, with a staggering 78% decrease compared to the 2016-2020 period. According to SIPRI, Russia accounted for 39% of Algeria's arms imports during 2021-2025, followed by China at 27% and Germany at 18%. This statistic highlights the continued pivotal role of Russian and Chinese suppliers in equipping the Algerian military, despite the marked reduction in the volume of imports compared to the preceding years.
However, SIPRI cautions against making direct comparisons between Morocco and Algeria due to the high level of secrecy surrounding Algeria's arms procurement processes. There have been unconfirmed reports regarding Russian arms deals made by Algeria during 2021-2025, suggesting that the actual volume of Algerian imports may be higher than what SIPRI has been able to document or estimate. Therefore, Morocco's position as Africa's largest arms importer, according to SIPRI's data, reflects the extent of transfers that the institute was able to monitor and estimate, and does not necessarily provide a complete picture of all Algerian military purchases during the same period.
Furthermore, evaluating the scale of Algerian military acquisitions becomes increasingly complex when considering certain advanced Russian systems linked to Algeria, without clear announcements from either the Algerian or Russian authorities regarding the details or values of the contracts. In recent years, reports, images, and indications have emerged concerning Algeria's acquisition of advanced Russian fighter jets, including the Su-57 and Su-34, even as no official detailed announcements about all these deals have been published.
The Su-57 fighter jet stands out particularly in this context, as Algerian media reported in February 2025 that Algeria had selected the export version of the Su-57E. In November 2025, the head of the Russian United Aircraft Corporation stated that two of this model had been delivered to an unnamed foreign client. By September 2026, Janes reported, citing a company official, that Algeria had requested at least ten Su-57E fighters, confirming that the aircraft supplied to the export client had already been delivered.
Additionally, during this same period, Algeria has also been associated with the Su-34 fighter jets, a long-range strike aircraft that represents a significant addition to the Algerian Air Force. Algeria had previously received Su-30MKA fighters, and subsequent reports indicate that batches of Su-34s have arrived in the country, despite limited official information being released regarding the contract's specifics and size. Meanwhile, the Su-35s are already being received by Algeria, although the details of the contract or the number of aircraft involved have not been officially disclosed. The presence of Su-35s in Algeria has been confirmed through satellite images showing a fighter of this model at the Ouargla Air Base bearing Algerian Air Force markings, followed by subsequent images and videos of Su-35s linked to Algeria, indicating their entry into service as part of the modernization of the Algerian Air Force. This situation underscores the challenge of relying solely on announced procurement data when assessing the scale of Algerian armament, as deliveries may occur on the ground before official details of contracts are revealed.
As Morocco rises in arms imports, it coincides with a significant decline in overall arms imports across Africa. From 2016-2020 to 2021-2025, African countries saw a 41% drop in major arms imports, while the global volume of major arms transfers increased by 9.2% during the same period, marking the largest increase since 2011-2015. The United States was the largest arms supplier to Africa during 2021-2025, holding a 19% share of total imports to the continent, followed by China at 17%, Russia at 15%, and France at 8.3%.
