El Djazair 54: Algeria’s locally built armed MALE drone
Photo: Military Africa (military.africa)
AlgeriaArmed MALE unmanned aerial vehicleIn serviceTwin-turboprop armed drone built in Algeria from the UAE's Yabhon United 40 design
El Djazair 54 is an armed medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV in service with Algeria since December 2018. Algeria says it is built locally by engineers and technicians of the People's National Army, but the design is the Yabhon United 40 by Adcom Systems of the UAE, making it a licence-derived aircraft.
What is El Djazair 54? Overview and origins
El Djazair 54 is the Algerian version of the Yabhon United 40, a twin-turboprop drone designed by Adcom Systems in the UAE. Arabian Aerospace and Oryx both identify it as such. Algeria states that the aircraft is built locally by People's National Army personnel, so it is best described as a licence-derived drone produced in Algeria rather than an Algerian design.
With up to 10 hardpoints and twin engines, the aircraft is larger and more heavily armed than many tactical drones in the region. MALE drones of this type are used for long surveillance flights over borders and remote terrain, with the option to strike targets they detect.
Algerian interest in the Yabhon designs was first reported in 2013. Footage on Algerian television at the end of 2018 showed the aircraft in service, and military.africa dates its entry into service to 30 December 2018.
El Djazair 54 design and armament
The aircraft is powered by two turboprops. It is 11 m long with a wingspan of about 21 m and has up to 10 hardpoints for a payload of up to 1,050 kg. A synthetic-aperture radar is available as an option, allowing surveillance through cloud and dust.
Its weapons include Namrod air-to-surface missiles and converted 120 mm mortar rounds. Adapted mortar bombs give a drone a simple air-dropped munition, generally less precise than a purpose-built guided weapon.
The designer's published figures for endurance and ceiling apply to the Yabhon United 40 and have not been confirmed for the Algerian aircraft, so they are not repeated here.
El Djazair 54 and 55 in service
On 30 April 2019 Algeria's Ministry of National Defence announced its first publicly disclosed UAV strike. It targeted militants in a mountainous area after surveillance on 28-29 April and used adapted mortar bombs. Accounts differ on which aircraft was involved. military.africa says El Djazair 55s carried out the strike, while Arabian Aerospace describes the 55 as an unarmed ISR drone with a single gimballed sensor.
The El Djazair 55 is a smaller local version of Adcom Systems' Yabhon Flash-20. Together the two types have been in Algerian service since December 2018, and Algeria is the confirmed operator.
Algeria has also pursued locally designed UAVs. Its Research Center in Industrial Technologies (CRTI) has built Amel-series prototypes, but Oryx assessed in 2021 that they were unlikely to enter service. The El Djazair types, built from foreign designs, are so far the locally produced drones Algeria is known to operate.
El Djazair 54 specifications: dimensions, payload and weapons
| Propulsion | Twin turboprop |
|---|---|
| Length | 11 m |
| Wingspan | approx. 21 m |
| Hardpoints | Up to 10 |
| Payload | Up to 1,050 kg |
| Weapons | Namrod air-to-surface missiles; converted 120 mm mortar rounds |
| Options | Synthetic-aperture radar |
El Djazair 54 variants: El Djazair 55
How did the El Djazair 54 come to be? Algerian interest in Yabhon designs
Algerian interest in the Yabhon designs of Adcom Systems of the UAE was first reported in 2013. Arabian Aerospace and Oryx identify the El Djazair 54 as the Adcom Systems Yabhon United 40, which Algeria says it builds locally.
Algerian television footage at the end of 2018 showed the aircraft in service, and military.africa dates the entry into service to 30 December 2018. Algeria states that engineers and technicians of the People's National Army build the drone. The catalogue lists the El Djazair 54 as in service, with Algeria as the only operator, and notes that it is licence-derived.
Where is the El Djazair 54 produced? Army engineers and Adcom origin
Algeria states that the drone is built locally by engineers and technicians of the People's National Army. The design is the Yabhon United 40 by Adcom Systems of the UAE, so the programme is licence-derived, not indigenous.
Figures for endurance and ceiling are the designer's Yabhon United 40 claims and are not repeated in the catalogue. Algeria's Research Center in Industrial Technologies (CRTI) has built Amel-series UAV prototypes, which Oryx assessed in 2021 as unlikely to enter service, and Afaq-series prototypes. The El Djazair 54 uses twin turboprop propulsion and can be fitted with a synthetic-aperture radar.
El Djazair 54 and El Djazair 55 compared
The El Djazair 55 is a smaller local version of the Yabhon Flash-20. Algeria has fielded both drones since December 2018, and the 54 is the larger of the two, with an 11 m length and a wingspan of approximately 21 m.
Sources differ on the 55's role. Arabian Aerospace describes it as an unarmed ISR drone with a single gimballed sensor, while military.africa reports it dropping adapted mortar bombs in 2019. The 54 has up to 10 hardpoints and a payload of up to 1,050 kg.
Algeria's first publicly disclosed UAV strike, April 2019
On 30 April 2019 Algeria's Ministry of National Defence announced its first publicly disclosed UAV strike, against militants in a mountainous area, after surveillance on 28-29 April. The ministry said adapted mortar bombs were used.
The reports do not agree on the aircraft. military.africa says El Djazair 55s carried out the strike, whereas Arabian Aerospace describes the 55 as unarmed. The El Djazair 54's own armament includes Namrod air-to-surface missiles and converted 120 mm mortar rounds. The Algerian announcement is the first time the country disclosed a UAV strike publicly, which makes it a reference date for the drones' operational use.
El Djazair 54 timeline: key dates
- 2013Algerian interest in the Yabhon designs is first reported.
- 2018The El Djazair 54 is unveiled.
- End of 2018Algerian television footage shows the aircraft in service.
- 30 December 2018military.africa dates the drones' entry into service.
- 28-29 April 2019Algerian forces carry out surveillance of the mountain area later struck.
- 30 April 2019The Ministry of National Defence announces Algeria's first publicly disclosed UAV strike.
Which countries use the El Djazair 54?
AlgeriaIn serviceAbout the People's National Army programme: who builds the El Djazair 54
Algeria states that the El Djazair 54 is built locally by engineers and technicians of the People's National Army. The design is the Yabhon United 40 by Adcom Systems of the UAE. Algeria's military industry is run by the Ministry of National Defence's Direction des Fabrications Militaires, which includes the GPIM, and Algeria also fields the El Djazair 55 UAV, a local version of Adcom's Yabhon Flash-20. NIMR-Algérie, formed in 2012 with the UAE's Tawazun, builds Nimr vehicles in Khenchela province.
El Djazair 54 FAQ: origin, weapons and service
What is the El Djazair 54?
El Djazair 54 is an armed MALE UAV in Algerian service since December 2018, built locally from Adcom Systems' Yabhon United 40 design.
Is the El Djazair 54 an Algerian design?
No. Arabian Aerospace and Oryx identify it as the UAE-designed Yabhon United 40. Algeria says it builds the aircraft locally.
What weapons does the El Djazair 54 carry?
Namrod air-to-surface missiles and converted 120 mm mortar rounds, on up to 10 hardpoints.
How big is the El Djazair 54?
It is 11 m long with a wingspan of about 21 m and a payload of up to 1,050 kg.
What is the El Djazair 55?
A smaller local version of the Yabhon Flash-20. Sources disagree on whether it is armed.
Which countries use the El Djazair 54?
Algeria is the confirmed operator.
Is the El Djazair 54 an Algerian design?
No. Arabian Aerospace and Oryx identify the El Djazair 54 as the Adcom Systems Yabhon United 40 of the UAE, which Algeria says it builds locally.
Who builds the El Djazair 54?
Algeria states that the El Djazair 54 is built locally by engineers and technicians of the People's National Army.
When did the El Djazair 54 enter service?
military.africa dates the entry into service of the El Djazair drones to 30 December 2018, and the catalogue lists December 2018.
How big is the El Djazair 54?
The El Djazair 54 is about 11 m long with a wingspan of approximately 21 m and twin turboprop propulsion.
What payload can the El Djazair 54 carry?
The El Djazair 54 has up to 10 hardpoints and can carry up to 1,050 kg of payload.
What weapons does the El Djazair 54 use?
The El Djazair 54 can carry Namrod air-to-surface missiles and converted 120 mm mortar rounds, with an optional synthetic-aperture radar.
What is the El Djazair 55?
The El Djazair 55 is a smaller local version of the Yabhon Flash-20, described by Arabian Aerospace as an unarmed ISR drone with a single gimballed sensor.
What was Algeria's first UAV strike?
On 30 April 2019 Algeria's Ministry of National Defence announced its first publicly disclosed UAV strike, against militants in a mountainous area, using adapted mortar bombs.
Sources and further reading
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