ALGIERS, August 7, 2025 – the Algerian Army General Saïd Chanegriha, Minister Delegate to the Minister of National Defense and Chief of Staff of the People’s National Army (PNA), presided over the inauguration ceremony of the new headquarters of the Territory Air Defense Forces Command (TADFC) on Thursday, as detailed in a communiqué from the Ministry of National Defense (MND).
The ceremony took place “in the presence of the Commander of Ground Forces, various Force Commanders, the Commander of the Republican Guard, the interim Commander of the National Gendarmerie, the Commander of the 1st Military Region, Heads of Departments, and Central Directors of the General Staff of the People’s National Army and the Ministry of National Defense,” the communiqué stated.
Following a welcoming ceremony led by Major General Abdelaziz Houam, Commander of the Territory Air Defense Forces, Army General Chanegriha observed a “moment of reflection” in memory of Martyr “Colonel Benali Boudghene, known as Lotfi,” after whom the command’s headquarters is named. He laid a wreath at his memorial and recited the Fatiha in honor of him and other brave martyrs.
Afterward, the Army General received an extensive briefing regarding the new headquarters from the project managers before inspecting its various facilities. These facilities are designed to enable TADFC personnel to “carry out their assigned missions under optimal conditions and with the required professionalism,” the source added.
Subsequently, the Army General convened a meeting with TADFC officials, during which he delivered a speech broadcast via video conference to all units of TADFC. In his address, he expressed his “delight” at inaugurating the new headquarters and engaging with the Air Defense personnel.
“I would like to take this joyous occasion to express my pleasure in presiding over today’s inauguration ceremony of the new headquarters of the Territory Air Defense Forces Command and to once again meet with the leaders and personnel of these forces, to which we attach great importance given the nature and specificity of the vital missions entrusted to them,” emphasized Army General Chanegriha.
He added that the “profound changes” experienced in modern battlefields present “real challenges,” even for the world’s most powerful armies, necessitating adaptation to these transformations and addressing their complexities.
“The nature and scope of modern warfare have undergone significant transformations due to the challenges posed by new instruments of war, where airspace is among the top priorities in operational scenarios and now represents a key factor in achieving victory in wars, not just battles,” he noted.
He further remarked that “modern wars are witnessing the emergence of sophisticated, varied, and unprecedented aerial threats, including fourth and fifth-generation aircraft, as well as small drones operating at low altitudes, making their detection and neutralization challenging, alongside missiles of varying ranges—all of which pose serious problems for even the most powerful armies.”
To this end, he continued, it is the responsibility of the Command, the officers, and the personnel of the Territory Air Defense Forces to “acknowledge the significant responsibilities” that rest upon them. This particularly relates to “establishing the necessary conditions for units to maintain readiness, ensuring continuous and rigorous oversight of our airspace, and optimizing the operational availability of our forces to achieve our deterrence objectives.”
At the conclusion of his remarks, the Army General issued a “series of instructions and guidelines,” underscoring the importance of “maintaining this new structure and intensifying efforts to ensure the continuation of missions, thereby upholding the reputation of our valiant army, particularly in terms of capacity development, safeguarding the integrity of our airspace, and countering any potential threats.”
Following this, the Army General listened to feedback from the officers and personnel of the Territory Air Defense Forces Command before signing the guestbook at the end of his visit, as noted in the communiqué from the Ministry of National Defense.
