The Algerian Navy has accepted two Russian-made Project 06361 submarines in a ceremony at the Mers-el-Kébir naval base on January 9 attended by Chief Of staff of the Algerian People’s National Army, General of the Army Ahmed Gaid Salah.
Both submarines were built at the Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg according to Project 636M and are of the same type as the Varshavyanka built for China. The new submarines left the shipyards on October 2 and November 27, 2018 respectively. In the Algerian Navy, the new submarines were assigned the hull numbers 031 and 032, and given names: the Ouarsenis and the Hoggar. This is the third and fourth submarines of this project delivered to Algeria. The first Varshavyanka class vessels arrived in Algeria in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
The submarines can operate autonomously for 45 days, managed by crews of 52.