Algerian National Navy The Algerian National Navy ( ) is the naval branch of the Military of Algeria . The navy operates from multiple bases along the country ' s nearly coastline , fulfilling its primary role of monitoring and defending Algeria ' s territorial waters against all foreign military or economic intrusion . Additional missions include coast guard and maritime safety missions as well a projection of marine forces ( " fusillers marins " ) . Algerian forces are an important player in the Western Mediterranean and are the largest African naval force in that sea zone . As with other Algerian military branches , the navy was built and structured with assistance from the Soviet Union during the Cold War , but has also relied on other sources for equipment in some areas . Since the end of the Cold War , Russia has remained an important partner , but Algeria has increasingly sought additional sources for equipment as well as building its own shipbuilding capacity . Bases . Principal naval bases are located at Algiers , Annaba , Mers el - Kebir , Oran , Skikda and Tamentfoust . Mers el Kébir is home to the OMCN / CNE shipbuilding facilities where several Algerian vessels have been built . Algeria ' s naval academy at Tamentfoust provides officer training equivalent to that of the army and the air force academies . The navy also operates a technical training school for its personnel at Tamentfoust . Equipment . The bulk of the Algerian Navy is still based on Cold War designs , although work is being done to both acquire new platforms as well as modernize existing equipment . The surface fleet is equipped with a mixture of smaller ships well suited to coastal and Exclusive Economic Zone ( EEZ ) patrol work . The fleet is led by three Koni class frigate s which have been updated with more modern systems . These are due to be augmented in the coming years by a pair of MEKO A - 200 frigates which will represent the most modern equipment of the navy when they enter service . A mixture of six corvettes and off - shore patrol vessels complement the frigates , while a large number of smaller boats cover the role of coastal patrol . Algeria had maintained a relatively large fleet of Osa class fast attack craft by the end of the Cold War , but it is questionable whether any of these remain in operational use . Algeria has had a small submarine presence in the Mediterranean with a pair of Kilo class patrol submarines , though the recent acquisition of an additional two upgraded boats will expand this presence significantly . Their amphibious warfare capacity has traditionally been limited with a small group of landing ships essentially for coastal transport roles . This capacity will be greatly upgraded with the planned acquisition of an amphibious transport dock capable of supporting more robust operations . In the area of civil support , the purchase of seagoing rescue tugs will mark the first ability of an African nation to provide valuable services to economic and commercial operators in the Western Mediterranean . The Algerian military has long maintained a strong veil of secrecy over its organization and equipment , making an exact accounting of operational vessels difficult to ascertain . Open sources are known to vary widely in their reports of several aspects of Algerian equipment . Modernization . The Navy is upgrading itself with thefollowing technological developments . The existing units were modernized , the submarine force strengthened by two new Kilo class submarines ( last generation ) . Munitions . Anti - ship Missiles