The Albanian Air Force ( - Air Force of the Republic of Albania) is the air force of Albania and one of the branches of the Albanian Armed Forces.
History
Early history
In 1914 the government of Albania ordered three Lohner Daimler aircraft from Austria to form an air force. As a result of the outbreak of World War I, the order was cancelled. Albania did not have the resources to start the development of a proper Air Force during the 1920s and 1930s. After the establishment of the Albanian Kingdom in 1928, King Zog formed the Royal Albanian Air Corps under the direction of the Royal Albanian Army.
After its launch, the group was provided with four Albatros C.XV/L.47s and one Albatros C.XV/L.47b, but they were never put into full service.
The Royal Air Force, and the rest of Albanian armed forces, were abolished following the Italian invasion of Albania.
Socialist Albania
After World War II, the Albanian Air Force finally came into existence on 24 April 1951 when Albania was equipped with Soviet aircraft. The first squadron was equipped with Yak-9Ps. The first jet fighter to enter service was the MiG-15bis, entering service on 15 May 1955, followed by the MiG-17F. Some of the MiG-15s were Soviet fighters used and then withdrawn from the North Korean Air Force. The MiG-19 became the backbone of the Albanian Air Force. 12 MiG-19PM were delivered by the USSR in October 1959 and in the same year pilots and specialists were sent in the USSR to obtain training for the new aircraft. An academy was founded in Vlorë in 1962. Albania cut diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union in 1962, leading to a shift to China for the supply of necessary parts to maintain its MiGs. After the collapse of USSR-Albanian relations, significant numbers of Shenyang J-6 fighters (Chinese copy of the MiG-19S), were acquired from China. In the early 1970s, Albania exchanged its lot of MiG-19PM fighters with 12 more advanced, Chengdu J-7A fighters (Chinese copy of the Soviet-built MiG-21). Two of them were lost in incidents in the early 1970s and eight had problems with lack of batteries in the early 1980s.
In total, during the 70s and early 80s, the equipment of the Albanian Air Force consisted of 142 Shenyang J-6Cs, 12 Chengdu J-7As, a fighter squadron equipped with MiG-17s, a considerable number of MiG-15 (both BIS and UTI versions), and 4 Soviet-made Il-14 transport aircraft. A squadron of Shijiazhuang Y-5 was deployed in Tirana and the Air Force Academy in Vlora had two squadrons of Yak-18 for basic pilot training purposes. The helicopter component consisted in 18 Harbin Z-5 (Chinese copy of Mil Mi-4) helicopters based in Farka Tirana, meanwhile there was a single prototype of a light Harbin H-5 bomber based in Rinas.
Due to the collapse of relations between Albania and the Chinese, maintenance became extremely difficult and the number of deadly incidents involving Mikoyan fighters increased. Despite Albanian efforts and some initial success in repairing the engines of the MiGs, the lack of specific jet fuel forced authorities to start production locally, resulting in low-quality production. The first attempt was in 1961, when the Kuçova factory produced the special jet fuel (a derivative of kerosene called TS-1). The fuel shortened the lifespan of the jet engines and was often blamed as the main reason for several deadly incidents. 35 Albanian pilots lost their lives from 1955 to 2005, mainly due to mechanical failures with the MiG aircraft.
Recent history
Following the fall of communism in Albania in 1990, the air force had 200 jets and 40 helicopters, and four Il-14 transport planes. In the early 1990s, 7594 Regiment became Aviation Regiment 4020, seemingly with its 1st Squadron of fighter aircraft and 2nd Squadron of Shenyang FT-5s, and Shijiazhuang Y-5s (Antonov An-2s). During the 1997 uprising in Albania, seven aircraft of the airforce were destroyed and their parts were stolen. In the early 90s, in an effort to keep the fighter jets flying, the Albanian Air Force received spare parts from Bulgaria and engines from the ex-GDR. By 2004, Albania still had 117 J-6C aircraft, (although most were not operational) and only 12 J-7A. The Albanian fighter jets were finally withdrawn from active service in late 2004 after the last deadly incident involving a J-6C which crashed during take-off from the military area at Mother Teresa Airport in Tirana.
By 2006, Albania had scrapped over half of its Z-5s and had signed a contract for the delivery of six Bolkow 105s over three years. This acquisition allowed air force to operate with 4 Shijiazhuang Y-5s, 7 B206s, 3 B205s, 6 Bolkow 105s. Currently, the Albanian Air Brigade does not operate any Soviet-era aircraft. Since 2011, 9 Shijiazhuang Y-5 have been retired from service. In 2011, the air force sold four Il-14 transport planes for scrap.
In 2016, 40 retired Albanian military aircraft were prepared for auction at a future date. The aircraft for sale include a military trainer aircraft, the Yak-18, and four types of military jets – MiG-15s, MiG-17s, MiG-19s, and MiG-21s – and four Mi-4 transport helicopters. The government said there has been interest from collectors and museums, and that it will sell another 100 jets if the auction is successful. The funds generated were used to further modernise the Air Force.
Retired aircraft
Fighter / Attacker Image AircraftOriginTypeTotal 168-184 AircraftNotesRegimentIn serviceChengdu F-7AChinaJet fighter12In the 1970s 1 F-7A pilot accidentally entered Yugoslav airspace during a training drill, was intercepted by 2 Yugoslav Mig-21 and was forced to land in Kosovo, when landing the Yugoslav Mig-21 deployed their parachutes to stop but the Albanian F-7A pilot activated full afterburner took off and escaped back to Albania.Part of Aviation Regiment 4020 (1970–1974) and Aviation Regiment 4010 (1974–2004)1970-2004 MiG-19PM Soviet UnionJet fighter12Albania–Yugoslav aircraft incident (1967) Part of Aviation Regiment 4020 Replaced by J-61959-1965MiG-17FSoviet UnionJet fighter1212 Mig-17 delivered 1962Part of Aviation Regiment 40301962-?MiG-15 and MIG-15 UTI Soviet UnionJet fighter32-48+8+ Mig-15UTI and 24+ MIg-15bis. In 1957 2 Mig-15 captured an American T-33 and its pilot that violated Albanian Airspace.Part of Aviation Regiment 4020, 4030 and 40041955-2000Shenyang F-6 and FT-6ChinaJet fighter65-71+Chinese variant of Mig-19. Part of Aviation Regiment 4010, 4020 and 40301965-2004Shenyang F-5 and Shenyang FT-5ChinaJet fighter35+13 F-5 and 22 FT-5 Part of Aviation Regiment 4010 4020 and 40301970-2004
Bombers ImageAircraftOriginTypeTotal 1 AircraftUnitsRegimentIn serviceHarbin H-5 ChinaBomber1Aviation Regiment 4020 operated 1" Albania Air Force: AviatioSkuadronnt 4020 (7594 Regiment)." aeroflight.co. Retrieved: 22 August 2011.Part of Aviation Regiment 4020RetiredIlyushin Il-28Soviet UnionBomber1operated 1 but traded it for 1 Harbin H-5 Part of Aviation Regiment 4020Retired
Helicopters ImageAircraftOriginTypeTotal 80+ AircraftUnitsRegimentIn serviceBell 212United StatesHelicopterUnknownRetiredEurocopter AS350 ÉcureuilFranceHelicopterUnknownPart of Aviation Regiment 4050RetiredHarbin Z-5ChinaHelicopter37Z-5 of those 31 were Z-5A variants and 6 were Z-5D.Part of Aviation Regiment 4040RetiredMil Mi-1Soviet UnionHelicopter22 units delivered 1957Part of Aviation Regiment 4050RetiredMil Mi-4Soviet UnionHelicopter4141 Mil Mi-4 but 1 was lost in an accidentPart of Aviation Regiment 4040 and 4050RetiredMil Mi-8TSoviet UnionHelicopterUnknown Mil Mi-8TPossible in service
Trainer ImageAircraftOriginTypeTotal 208 AircraftUnitsRegimentIn serviceYakovlev Yak-9Soviet UnionPropeller fighter8472 aircraft and 12 Yak-9V trainerPart of Aviation Regiment 4050RetiredYakovlev Yak-18Soviet UnionTrainer104 Yak-18 delivered 1951 and 6 Yak-18A delivered 1959 Part of Aviation Regiment 4050RetiredYakovlev Yak-11Soviet UnionTrainer66 Received in 1953 Part of Aviation Regiment 4050RetiredNanchang CJ-6ChinaTrainer3010 BT-6, 20 BT-6A Part of Aviation Regiment 4004RetiredPolikarpov Po-2Soviet UnionTrainer7878 Aircraft received between 1950 and 1966""Historical Listings". worldairforces.com. Retrieved: 18 August 2010.Part of Aviation Regiment 4050Retired 1985
Transport ImageAircraftOriginTypeTotal 4+ AircraftUnitsRegimentIn serviceIlyushin Il-14Soviet UnionTransport44 Units, 2x Il-14 from Soviet Union, 1x Avia 14T from Czechoslovakia, 1x VEB Il-14P from East Germany.World Air Forces – Countries .Part of Aviation Regiment 4020 and 4050Retired 2002Lisunov Li-2Soviet UnionTransportUnknownRetiredShijiazhuang Y-5 (or Nanchang Y-5)ChinaTransportUnknownPart of Aviation Regiment 4020 and 4050Retired
Current Equipment
Aircraft
The Albanian Air Force has retired all of its fixed-wing aircraft and now operates several types of helicopters.