The
Albanian Air Force (
Forcat Ajrore Shqiptare, FASH) is the national
Air ForceAn air force, also known in some countries as an air army or historically an army air corps, is in the broadest sense, the national military that primarily conducts aerial warfare...
of the
Albanian militaryThe Albanian Armed Forces is the armed forces of Albania, first formed after independence in 1912. Today it is made up of the General Staff Headquarters, the Albanian Joint Forces Command, the Albanian Support Command and the Albanian Training and Doctrine Command.The Albanian Joint Forces...
. Currently it operates under the
Albanian Joint Forces CommandThe Albanian Joint Forces Command, consists in the branch of the Albanian military charged with protecting the territorial integrity of Albania. The Command has under the proper structure the Rapid Reaction Brigade, the Commando Regiment, the Albanian Air Force, the Albanian Naval Defense Forces...
and it is regrouped in the Albanian Air Brigade. The headquarters is located in
TiranaTirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...
and it operates two airbases, Kuçova and
TiranaTirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...
.
History
Military aviation started in
AlbaniaAlbania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...
in 1914, when the Albanian government ordered three
Lohner DaimlerDaimler may refer to:*Gottlieb Daimler, German automobile inventor...
aircraft from
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
to form the
Albanian Air Corps. As a result of the outbreak of
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, the order was cancelled. Albania did not have the resources to restart the development of a proper
Air ForceAn air force, also known in some countries as an air army or historically an army air corps, is in the broadest sense, the national military that primarily conducts aerial warfare...
during the 1920s and 1930s.
After
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Albanian Air Force finally came into existence when Albania was equipped with
SovietThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
aircraft. The first squadron was equipped with
Yakovlev Yak-9The Yakovlev Yak-9 was a single-engine fighter aircraft used by the Soviet Union in World War II and after. It was the most numerous Soviet fighter of the war and remained in production from 1942 to 1948, with 16,769 built.-Design and development:...
s. The first jet fighter to enter service was the MiG-15, dating officially the 15
th of May 1955, followed by the MiG-17. Some of the MiG-15s were Soviet fighters used and then withdrawn from the North Korean conflict. The backbone of the Albanian Air Force jet fighters became
MiG-19The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 is a Soviet second-generation, single-seat, twin jet-engined fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S...
,
NATOThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization ); ), also called "the Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on April 4, 1949...
code "Farmer". 12
MiG-19The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 is a Soviet second-generation, single-seat, twin jet-engined fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S...
PM were delivered by the USSR in October 1959 and on the same year pilots and specialists were sent in USSR to train with the allweather interceptor MiG-19 PM. After the collapse of USSR-
AlbaniaAlbania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...
n relations, significant numbers of
Shenyang J-6The Shenyang J-6 was the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft.-Design and development:...
fighters (
ChineseThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
copy of the
MiG-19The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 is a Soviet second-generation, single-seat, twin jet-engined fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S...
S), were delivered from
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
. In the early 70s, Albania exchanged its lot of Soviet made
MiG-19The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 is a Soviet second-generation, single-seat, twin jet-engined fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S...
PM (
NATOThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization ); ), also called "the Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on April 4, 1949...
code "Farmer-E"/beam-riding missiles equipped), with 12, more advanced,
Chengdu J-7The Chengdu Jian-7 is a People's Republic of China-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21. Though production ceased in 2006 it continues to serve, mostly as an interceptor, in several air forces....
A fighters (
ChineseThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
copy of the Soviet built MiG-21). Two of them were lost in incidents in the early 70s, eight had problems with lack of batteries in the early 80s.
In total, during the 70s and early 80s, the Albanian Air Force was able to deploy 72 Shenyang J-6C, 12 Chengdu J-7A, a fighting squadron equipped with 12 MiG-17, a considerable number of MiG-15 (both
BIS and
UTI versions), and 4 Soviet made transport aircraft
Il-14IL-14 or IL 14 can refer to:* Interleukin 14* Illinois' 14th congressional district* Illinois Route 14* Ilyushin Il-14 - soviet aircraft...
. A squadron of
Shijiazhuang Y-5The Antonov An-2 also nicknamed "Annushka"; is an extremely durable, light, single-engine biplane which first flew on 31 August 1947 and was the first plane designed by Antonov...
was deployed in
TiranaTirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...
and the
Air Force Academy in Vlora had 2 squadrons of Yak-18 for basic pilot training purposes. The
HelicopterA helicopter is an aircraft that is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors, each rotor consisting of two or more rotor blades. Helicopters are classified as rotorcraft or rotary-wing aircraft to distinguish them from fixed-wing aircraft because the helicopter achieves lift with the...
component consisted in 37 helicopters
Harbin Z-5The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport helicopter that served in both military and civilian roles.-Design and development:...
based in
Farka TiranaTirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...
, meanwhile there was a single prototype of a light
H-5The Ilyushin Il-28 is a jet bomber aircraft of the immediate post war period that was originally manufactured for the Soviet Air Force. It was the USSR's first such aircraft to enter large-scale production. It was also licence-built in China as the Harbin H-5. Total production in the USSR was 6,316...
bomberA bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, primarily by dropping bombs on them.-Classifications of bombers:...
based in
Rinas.
Due to relations collapse between
AlbaniaAlbania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...
and the
ChineseThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
, maintenance became extremely difficult and the number of deadly incidents involving
MikoyanRussian Aircraft Corporation MiG, or RSK MiG, is a Russian joint stock company. Formerly Mikoyan or Mikoyan-i-Gurevich Design Bureau , it is a military aircraft design bureau, primarily designing fighter aircraft...
fighters increased. Despite Albanian efforts and some initial success in repairing and converting the engines of the
MiGMig may refer to:*Mikoyan or "MiG", formerly "Mikoyan-Gurevich", a Russian military aircraft manufacturer*Marfin Investment Group*Minnesota IMPLAN Group, inc*Gas metal arc welding, also called "MIG welding"...
s, the lack of specific
jet fuelJet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw colored. The most common fuels are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to an internationally standardized set of specifications...
forced the
AlbaniansAlbanians are a people from southeast Europe who live in Albania and neighboring countries. They speak the Albanian language. About half of them live in Albania, with other large groups residing in Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro...
to start production in a national scale, but without having the proper technological know-how, thus resulting in a low-quality production (The first attempt dates on 1961, when the
Kuçova factory produced the special
JetA jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes — as high as 10,000 to 15,000 meters . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances...
keroseneKerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
called
TSI). Such
fuelFuel is any material that is burned or altered to obtain energy and to heat or to move object. Fuel releases its energy either through a chemical reaction means, such as combustion, or nuclear means, such as nuclear fission or nuclear fusion...
conditioned the life-time of the jet engines and often was blamed as the main reason of the deadly incidents (35 Albanian pilots lost their life from 1955 to 2005 mainly due to
MiGMig may refer to:*Mikoyan or "MiG", formerly "Mikoyan-Gurevich", a Russian military aircraft manufacturer*Marfin Investment Group*Minnesota IMPLAN Group, inc*Gas metal arc welding, also called "MIG welding"...
's mechanical failures). In the early 90s, in an effort to keep the
MiGMig may refer to:*Mikoyan or "MiG", formerly "Mikoyan-Gurevich", a Russian military aircraft manufacturer*Marfin Investment Group*Minnesota IMPLAN Group, inc*Gas metal arc welding, also called "MIG welding"...
s flying, the Albanian Air Force received spare parts from
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
and engines from the ex-GDR. As of 2004, Albania still had 65 J-6C aircraft, although most were not operational and only 2 Chengdu J-7A in flying condition
http://www.baes.org.uk/reports/albain06.htm. The Albanian fighter jets were definitively withdrawn from active service in late 2004 after the last deadly incident involving a J-6C during take-off from the military area at
Mother Teresa Airport in
TiranaTirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...
.
Since November 2006, the Air Force operates in a new structure, the Albanian Air Brigade, which is part of the
Albanian Joint Forces CommandThe Albanian Joint Forces Command, consists in the branch of the Albanian military charged with protecting the territorial integrity of Albania. The Command has under the proper structure the Rapid Reaction Brigade, the Commando Regiment, the Albanian Air Force, the Albanian Naval Defense Forces...
. Currently, the Albanian Air Brigade does not operate any fixed-wing aircraft but exclusively helicopters. Part of the same
BrigadeA brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army. Usually, a brigade is a sub-component of a division, a larger unit consisting of two or more brigades; however, some brigades are classified as a...
is also an Air Defence Battalion equipped with 37 mm Antiaircraft artillery. The MANPADS have already been retired from active service on 2008, due to aging factor. The high-altitude surface-to-air HQ-2 -
Hong Qian missiles, a modified version of the Lavochkin S-75 (
Russian С-75,
NATOThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization ); ), also called "the Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on April 4, 1949...
reporting name SA-2 Guideline), have also been withdrawn from service. 4
Shijiazhuang Y-5The Antonov An-2 also nicknamed "Annushka"; is an extremely durable, light, single-engine biplane which first flew on 31 August 1947 and was the first plane designed by Antonov...
are currently in service, aiming to a small future
parachuteA parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag. Parachutes are made out of cloth, most commonly nylon....
capability for some of the country's elite forces.
Soviet and Chinese aircraft
| Aircraft Type |
Quantity |
Service Entry |
Retirement |
| Y-5 |
13 |
1963 |
Partial. 2005 |
| Il-14 IL-14 or IL 14 can refer to:* Interleukin 14* Illinois' 14th congressional district* Illinois Route 14* Ilyushin Il-14 - soviet aircraft...
|
4 |
1957 |
2005 |
| H-5 The Ilyushin Il-28 is a jet bomber aircraft of the immediate post war period that was originally manufactured for the Soviet Air Force. It was the USSR's first such aircraft to enter large-scale production. It was also licence-built in China as the Harbin H-5. Total production in the USSR was 6,316...
|
1 |
1957 |
1997 |
| MiG-15bis |
26 |
1955 |
2005 |
| MiG-15UTI |
12 |
1955 |
2005 |
| Shenyang J-5 The Shenyang J-5 is a Chinese-built single-seat jet interceptor and fighter aircraft derived from the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. The J-5' was exported as the F-5...
|
12 |
1962 |
2005 |
Shenyang J-6The Shenyang J-6 was the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft.-Design and development:...
C |
82 |
1959 |
2005 |
Chengdu J-7The Chengdu Jian-7 is a People's Republic of China-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21. Though production ceased in 2006 it continues to serve, mostly as an interceptor, in several air forces....
A |
12 |
1965 |
2005 |
| JJ-5 The Shenyang J-5 is a Chinese-built single-seat jet interceptor and fighter aircraft derived from the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. The J-5' was exported as the F-5...
|
8 |
1962 |
2005 |
Z-5The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport helicopter that served in both military and civilian roles.-Design and development:...
|
37 |
1957 |
2005 |
| CJ-6 |
20 |
1962 |
2005 |
Deployment of the Albanian Air Force until 2005
| Unit |
Type |
Location |
| 4004 Regiment |
1st Squadron CJ-6 CJ-6 may refer to:*Jeep CJ-6 land transport vehicle*Nanchang CJ-6 aircraft...
Military Aviation Academy |
Vlora |
|
2nd Squadron CJ-6 CJ-6 may refer to:*Jeep CJ-6 land transport vehicle*Nanchang CJ-6 aircraft...
Military Aviation Academy |
Vlora |
|
3rd Squadron MiG-15bis, MiG-15UTI |
Kucova BeratBerat is a town located in south-central Albania. It has a population of around 45,500 people . It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat...
|
| 4010 Regiment |
1st Squadron Chengdu J-7The Chengdu Jian-7 is a People's Republic of China-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21. Though production ceased in 2006 it continues to serve, mostly as an interceptor, in several air forces....
A, Shenyang J-5The Shenyang J-5 is a Chinese-built single-seat jet interceptor and fighter aircraft derived from the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. The J-5' was exported as the F-5...
|
Zadrima Lezha |
|
2nd Squadron Shenyang J-6The Shenyang J-6 was the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft.-Design and development:...
C |
Zadrima Lezha |
|
3rd Squadron Shenyang J-6The Shenyang J-6 was the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft.-Design and development:...
C |
Zadrima Lezha |
| 4020 Regiment |
1st Squadron Shenyang J-6The Shenyang J-6 was the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft.-Design and development:...
C, MiG-15bis, Il-14IL-14 or IL 14 can refer to:* Interleukin 14* Illinois' 14th congressional district* Illinois Route 14* Ilyushin Il-14 - soviet aircraft...
|
Rinas TiranaTirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...
|
|
2nd Squadron Shenyang J-6The Shenyang J-6 was the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft.-Design and development:...
C, MiG-15bis, Il-14IL-14 or IL 14 can refer to:* Interleukin 14* Illinois' 14th congressional district* Illinois Route 14* Ilyushin Il-14 - soviet aircraft...
|
Rinas TiranaTirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...
|
| 4030 Regiment |
1st Squadron Shenyang J-6The Shenyang J-6 was the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft.-Design and development:...
C, MiG-15bis, |
Kucova BeratBerat is a town located in south-central Albania. It has a population of around 45,500 people . It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat...
|
|
2nd Squadron JJ-5 The Shenyang J-5 is a Chinese-built single-seat jet interceptor and fighter aircraft derived from the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. The J-5' was exported as the F-5...
, MiG-15bis |
Kucova BeratBerat is a town located in south-central Albania. It has a population of around 45,500 people . It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat...
|
| 4040 Regiment |
1st Squadron Mil Mi-4The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport helicopter that served in both military and civilian roles.-Design and development:...
, Z-5The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport helicopter that served in both military and civilian roles.-Design and development:...
|
Farka TiranaTirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...
|
|
2nd Squadron Z-5The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport helicopter that served in both military and civilian roles.-Design and development:...
|
Farka TiranaTirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...
|
|
3rd Squadron Z-5The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport helicopter that served in both military and civilian roles.-Design and development:...
|
Farka TiranaTirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...
|
| 4050 Regiment |
1st Squadron Y-5, AS-350, Bell 222 The Bell 222 is a twin-engined light helicopter built by Bell Helicopter. The Bell 230 is an improved development with different engines and other minor changes. A cosmetically modified version of the 222 was used as the titular aircraft in the US television program Airwolf.-Development:In the late...
/VIP (lost in incident 2006), Mil Mi-8The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries.-Design and development:...
|
Rinas TiranaTirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...
|
|
| Ministry of Health Aviation Unit |
SA 316 |
TiranaTirana is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Albania. It was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pasha and became Albania's capital city in 1920. The Municipality of Tirana lies on the river Ishëm, about inland and is located at in Tirana District, Tirana County...
AerodromeAn aerodrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo or passengers or neither....
|
Aircraft falsely reported
The An-12 has not been operated by the Albanian Air Force. The sighting in the early 90s that caused this was a visitor.
Many sources refer to about six Li-2s being used in
AlbaniaAlbania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...
. Neither the
C-47The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
nor its
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n copy, the Li-2, has ever been operated by the Albanian Air Force.
- Mil Mi-2
The Mil Mi-2 is a small, lightly armored transport helicopter that could also provide close air support when armed with 57 mm rockets and a 23 mm cannon.-Design and development:...
Hoplite
Two Mi-2 were wrongly reported as being operated during the 1980s.
- Mil Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian-designed helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude.-Development:...
This version of the
Mi-8MI-8 may refer to:* MI8, the WWII British signals intelligence agency* Mil Mi-8, the Soviet-designed helicopter* Mitten im 8en, an Austrian TV soap/comedy series* Black Chamber, the United States' first peacetime cryptanalytic organization...
Hip has not been supplied to
AlbaniaAlbania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...
.
The
F-4 designation has been incorrectly assumed in the west to apply to the
ChineseThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
built
version of the MiG-17F. The correct designation is Shenyang F-5. No
Shenyang F-4 has ever been
exported by
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
.
Inventory
- See full article: List of Albanian Air Force aircraft
The Albanian Air Force operates various types of helicopters. All of the Albanian fixed-wing aircraft, like the
ShenyangShenyang Aircraft Corporation is a Chinese civilian and military aircraft manufacturer located in Shenyang. Founded in 1953, it is one of the oldest and the most important aircraft manufacturers in the People's Republic of China...
s have been withdrawn from active service in 2005. Close to
NATOThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization ); ), also called "the Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on April 4, 1949...
Integration the Air defense has become a secondary priority for the Albanian military. Current plans are to reduce the manpower of the Albanian Air Force to around 1,400.
! style="text-align: left; background: #aabccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aabccc;"|Source
! style="text-align: left; background: #aabccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aabccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aabccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aabccc;"|Notes
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Helicopters
|-----
| Agusta A109The AgustaWestland AW109 is a helicopter manufactured by Agusta of Italy. It is a light-weight, twin engine, eight seat multi-purpose helicopter. The AgustaWestland AW119 Koala is a single-engine development....
|
| VIPVIP and V.I.P. is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:-In general:* Vacuum insulated panel* Vampires in Public, a live action role-playing game system based in the UK.* Variable Information Printing, a form of on-demand printing...
helicopter
| 1
| A109C
|
|-----
| Agusta-Bell AB205
|
| transport helicopter
| 3
| AB205A-1
|
|-----
| Agusta-Bell AB206The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected. Bell redesigned the airframe and...
|
| transport helicopter
| 7
| AB206C-1
| 4 flying
|-----
| MBB Bo 105
|
| Utility helicopter
| 2
| Bo 105 E-4
| 10 more to be delivered by 2009
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Utility AircraftA utility aircraft is a general-purpose light plane or helicopter, usually used for transporting people or freight, but also for other duties when a more specialised aircraft is not required or available....
|-----
| Shijiazhuang Y-5
|
| utility
| 4
| Y-5B
| 8 in storage
|}
See also
- Military of Albania
The Albanian Armed Forces is the armed forces of Albania, first formed after independence in 1912. Today it is made up of the General Staff Headquarters, the Albanian Joint Forces Command, the Albanian Support Command and the Albanian Training and Doctrine Command.The Albanian Joint Forces...
- Rapid Reaction Brigade
The Albanian Rapid Reaction Brigade was created on 6 January 2001.On January 2003 - first structural reorganization.On November 2006 - current organization.It is considered a first priority unit of the Albanian Armed Forces-Mission:...
- List of Albanian Air Force aircraft
External links