General Saïd Chanegriha, Delegated Minister to the Algerian Minister of National Defence, Chief of Staff of People’s National Army, presided Thursday over the inauguration ceremony of the new headquarters of the Territory Air Defence Forces Command (CFDAT).
The event was attended by Commander of the Land Forces, the Forces Commanders, the Commander of the Republican Guard, the Commander of the National Gendarmerie in interim, the Commander of the 1st Military Region, the Chiefs of Departments and the Central Directors of People’s National Army General Staff and of the Ministry of National Defence.
After the welcoming ceremony delivered by Major General Abdelaziz Houam, Commander of the Territory Air Defence Forces, General Chanegriha observed a moment of silence in memory of the Chahid (martyr) “Colonel Benali Boudghene known as Lotfi” whose the Command headquarters bears the name, the Algerian Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
General Chanegriha received a comprehensive presentation about this new headquarters, presented by the officials in charge of its realization project, before inspecting its various infrastructures, which should enable the personnel of the Territory Air Defence Forces Command to accomplish the assigned missions, in the best conditions and with the required professionalism.
Subsequently, the General held a meeting with the executives of the Territory Air Defence Forces Command, during which he delivered a speech broadcasted via videoconference to all CFDAT units, where he expressed his delight at inaugurating this new headquarters and at meeting the executives of the Territory Air Defence Forces.
“On this happy occasion, I would like to express my delight at presiding over the inauguration ceremony today of the new headquarters of the Territory Air Defence Forces Command, and meeting once again the executives and the personnel of these Forces, in which we grant a particular interest, given the nature and specificity of the vital missions with which they are entrusted,” General Chaegriha said.
He indicated that the profound changes experienced by the modern battlefield impose real challenges, including for the world's most powerful armies, requiring them to deal with these changes and to meet their challenges:
“The nature and scope of the modern battlefield have undergone profound changes, in light of the challenges imposed by new instruments of warfare, where airspace is at the forefront of the operational scene and now constitutes, as an operational factor, one of the key factors for winning wars, not just battles.
Modern warfare is witnessing the emergence of sophisticated, varied, and unprecedented aerial threats, including 4th and 5th generation aircraft, as well as drones, particularly small ones, which fly at low altitudes, making them difficult to detect and neutralize, as well as missiles of varying ranges, all of which are new factors that pose serious challenges even to the most powerful militaries.
To this end, it is up to the Command, officers, and personnel of the Territory Air Defence Forces to grasp the heavy responsibility incumbent upon them, particularly in terms of creating the necessary conditions for the readiness of units, ensuring the permanent and rigorous control of our airspace, and optimizing the operational readiness of our Forces' components, in order to achieve deterrence objective”.
At the end of his speech, General Chanegriha gave a series of instructions and guidelines, focusing mainly on the need to preserve this new building and to intensify efforts to enable the continuation of missions and to live up to the reputation of our valiant army, particularly in terms of developing its capabilities, protecting the integrity of our airspace, and combating all potential threats. Then, the General listened to the speeches addressed by officers and the staff of the Territory Air Defence Forces Command.
At the end of this visit, General Chanegriha signed the guestbook of the Territory Air Defence Forces Command. (Source & Photo © Algerian Ministry of Defence)
