Spain is worried regarding the arming of its neighbors on the southern shore. Indeed, Algeria who has made himself a champion in Africa in expenditure on defense or attack equipment, it is according to, wants to be through newly acquired Chinese armaments, to have a hold on the Strait of Gibraltar.
According to the Spanish site defensa.com, Algeria has increased its coastal defense capabilities (coastal defense and coastal fortification, measures taken to provide protection once morest military attacks on or near a coastline), by investing in high-capacity anti-ship missiles, the CM-302, an export version of the YJ-12 to create an A2/AD bubble ( Anti-Access/Area Denial ) in the western Mediterranean. In addition to Algeria, the first customer of the CM-302, Pakistan is also interested in this supersonic missile developed by the Chinese Society of Sciences and Aerospace Industry (China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation – CASIC).
Images posted on the Facebook page “SadaArmies” (site of the ANP) show the road transport of a camouflaged CM-302 coastal defense system on a road in Algeria. The latter is an export version of the Chinese YJ-12 coastal defense system with similar capabilities, to the Russian-Indian Brahmos. The CM-302 cruise missile has a range of 290 km. ” These new acquisitions will allow the dismantling of regiments of the Rubezh coastal defense system using largely obsolete P-20 missiles adds the Spanish Defense site.
For Algeria and in its dreams, this system would allow it to control naval movements in an area comprising the Strait of Gibraltar, the Balearic Islands and Sardinia and even to prohibit access to third parties. In his dreams ! the other would say. As if the Armed Forces of Spain, France, Italy, or Morocco, not to say NATO, did not exist around.
The defensa.com site following having toured the missile restricted in all its components concludes thus. ” In the midst of the current arms race between Morocco and Algeria with all its strategic repercussions in the Mediterranean, there is no doubt that Morocco will consider the acquisition of a coastal defense system among its priorities in the years to come. , because Morocco is also a major Chinese arms customer and we can see the same CM-302 system or another Chinese system also in Morocco “. But who is Spain worried regarding?
Furthermore, the 17th edition of the North African maritime exercise Phoenix Express 2022, takes place from May 23 to June 4, 2022, in Tunisia, and throughout the Mediterranean Sea. The exercise focuses on regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information sharing practices and operational capabilities, enhancing efforts to promote safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea and in the territorial waters of the participating North African nations. Thirteen nations are taking part in these maneuvers organized by the United States Sixth Fleet and the United States Naval Forces Europe Command. Tunisia as host country of the event is co-organizer. Spain, Belgium, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Libya, Greece, Italy, Malta, the United Kingdom and the United States are taking part in this 17th edition. It is not said in the story whether or not Algeria will make use of its new acquisitions.
