Air Force of the Albanian People's Army

Air Force of the Albanian People's Army
Forcat Ajrore të Ushtrisë Popullore të Shqipërisë
Fin flash of the Forcat Ajrore
Active24 April 1951 – 1991
CountryPeople's Socialist Republic of Albania Albania
TypeAir force
RoleAerial warfare
Size11,000 personnel
Part ofAlbanian People's Army
Engagements
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Edip Ohri
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
BomberIlyushin Il-28, Harbin H-5
FighterYak-9, MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19, Shenyang J-6, Shenyang J-5, Chengdu J-7
HelicopterMi-1, Mi-4, Mi-8, Z-5
TrainerYak-18, Yak-11, CJ-6
TransportY-5, An-2

The Air Force of the Albanian People's Army (Albanian: Forcat Ajrore të Ushtrisë Popullore të Shqipërisë) (FASH), commonly known as the Albanian Air Force, was one of the three branches of the Albanian armed forces during the People's Socialist Republic of Albania. It was established in 1947 and existed until the dissolution of the People's Army in 1991.

History

The Albanian People's Army Air Force was formed in 1947 with a gift of twelve Yakovlev Yak-3 fighters and a few Polikarpov Po-2 biplane trainers from the Soviet Union, with Soviet personnel seconded as instructors and advisers.[1]

The Albanian Air Force was officially established on April 24, 1951. Its first aircraft were Soviet Yak-18 trainers produced after World War II and initially used at Laprakë on the outskirts of the Albanian capital of Tirana. A few years later, the Albanian Air Force would also be equipped with jet fighters. The first squadron of MiG-15 fighters, titled "Peza", was formed in 1955. This squadron was deployed at Kuçovo Airport.[2]

Later, as part of military aid from the Soviet Union, the Albanian Air Force was also equipped with the MiG-17 and MiG-19.

After the Albanian–Soviet split ended the possibility of acquiring new Soviet planes, Albania's ally China supplied it with replacements and spare parts.[3] According to former Albanian Air Force commander, Edip Ohri, China delivered a total of 100 combat aircraft including 70 MiG-17 and 12 MiG-19, with another batch of 95 MiG-19s delivered later. Additionally, the Chinese sent 12 An-2 transports, 36 helicopters, and four special purpose aircraft including a VIP transport plane for Enver Hoxha, although he never crossed the border since the plane was delivered.[4] After 1970, the Albanians completely replaced their fleet of Soviet-built MiG-15 and MiG-17 aircraft with Chinese-built equivalents. The Chinese also supplied a squadron of J-7 fighters, the most modern aircraft in Albanian service at the time.[5]

In June 1957, the first transport regiment was created, with three Mi-1 helicopters and three new Mi-4 helicopters, as well as some Yak-18 and Po-2 propeller planes. In 1967, this regiment was expanded in capacity with the arrival of 30 Harbin Z-5s (China's copy of the Mi-4).[6]

Following the Sino-Albanian split, combat readiness of the fleet quickly declined with shortages of spare parts. The number of serviceable aircraft also shrank after the Chinese completely ceased their arms deliveries, leaving older aircraft in Albanian inventory unable to be repaired or replaced.[5]

Combat operations

First Operation

The first operation of FASH were undertaken by the Albanian anti-aircraft regiment units and they hit and shot down a Greek Spitfire fighter that had violated Albanian airspace for a spying mission. The Greek plane was destroyed and the pilot was found dead.[7][8][9]

Second Operation

In August 1949, during the Albanian-Greek border incident, anti-aircraft units of the same regiment shot down another Greek plane. The plane was forced to land in a field, where it was captured by Albanian combat units. The Greek pilot was taken prisoner.[10][11]

Third Operation

In April 1952, a Greek pilot, Nikos Akrivojanis, was captured by Albanian Air Force soldiers. He is said to have landed as he wanted to flee Greece because of the government but he was accused of being in Albania for a covert operation.[12] He was tried on December 13, 1953 and executed on August 16, 1954.[13][14]

First Albanian Air Force incident against the US Air Force

On December 23, 1957, an American Lockheed T-33 fighter jet violated Albanian airspace. Two MiG-15 aircraft took off from Kuçova airbase, piloted by Anastas Ngjela and Mahmut Hysa.

Major Howard J. Curran was intercepted and forced to land on the unfinished runway of the Rinas airport. The plane was seized and Curran was taken prisoner. He was later released on January 11, 1958, while the plane was placed in the Gjirokastër Fortress museum, where it is still today.[15][16]

Inventory

In 1989, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated that Albania had a total of 95 combat aircraft, but due the chronic shortage of spare parts, some aircraft weren't operational.[17]

Air Force of the Albanian People's Army inventory (1989)

Aircraft Origin Number Notes
Fighter
F-2 China 10[17] Chinese-built version of the MiG-15, used in the ground attack role.[5]
F-4 China 35[17] Chinese-built version of the MiG-17, used in the ground attack role.[5]
Shenyang F-6 China 30[17] Chinese-built version of the MiG-19.[5]
Chengdu F-7 China 20[17] Chinese-built version of the MiG-21.[5]
Transport
Ilyushin Il-14M Soviet Union 3[17]
Lisunov Li-2 Soviet Union 6[17] Supplied by China.[5]
Nanchang Y-5 China 10[17] Chinese-built version of the An-2.[5]
Helicopter
Harbin Z-5 China 20[17] Chinese-built version of the Mi-4.[5]
Trainer
MiG-15UTI Soviet Union 6[17]
Nanchang CJ-5 China 8[17] Chinese-built version of the Yak-18.
Yakovlev Yak-11 Soviet Union 6[17]

References

  1. ^ Wragg, David W. (1971). World's Air Forces. Reading: Osprey. ISBN 0-85045-038-1. OCLC 251153.
  2. ^ "Ja si u krijuan Forcat Ajrore Shqiptare, para 65 viteve". Telegrafi (in Albanian). 2016.
  3. ^ Keefe, Eugene K.; Foreign Area Studies, American University (1971). Area Handbook for Albania. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 184. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  4. ^ Bytyçi, Enver (2022). In the Shadows of Albania-China Relations (1960-1978). Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-5275-7909-5.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Zickel, Raymond E.; Iwaskiw, Walter R.; Keefe, Eugene K. (1992). Albania: a country study (PDF). Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 221−222. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  6. ^ "This is how the Albanian Air Force was created 71 years ago". Bota Sot (in Albanian). 2022. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  7. ^ Golemi, Figali (May 2016). "Ngjarje dhe data të Aviacionit Ushtarak Shqiptar" [Events and Dates in Albanian Military Aviation] (PDF). Mbrjojta (in Albanian). 84 (5). Directorate of Publications; Ministry of Defence (Albania): 30.
  8. ^ "La Forca Ajrore (Forza Aerea in italiano), spesso abbreviata in FASH, è l'attuale aeronautica militare albanese" [Forca Ajrore (Air Force in Italian), often abbreviated to FASH, is the current Albanian Air Force]. SI VIS PACEM PARA BELLUM (in Italian). 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  9. ^ "When Albania's fighter MiGs exterminated every Greek and Yugoslav 'fly' flying in Albanian airspace". Orikumi News (in Albanian). 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  10. ^ "A Greek plane flying to the villages of Hoxha and Markat was shot down by Albanian forces in the field of Finiq and the pilot". Memorie.al (in Albanian). 2021-09-06. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  11. ^ "The Greek plane flying over the Albanian villages was shot down by the forces..."/ How the press of Tirana reported the clash with Greece in 1949". Gazeta Shqip (in Albanian). Retrieved 2023-01-10.}
  12. ^ Kourēs, Nikos (1997). Ελλάδα – Τουρκία, Ο Πεντηκονταετής «Πόλεμος» [Greece - Turkey: The Fifty Year "War"] (in Greek). Athens: Ekdotikos Organismos Livanē "Nea Synora". ISBN 960-236-847-0. OCLC 44425832.
  13. ^ "Το Netflix και η σειρά που δεν έκανε για τον Έλληνα κατάσκοπο που εκτελέστηκε στην Αλβανία" [Netflix and the series it didn't make about the Greek spy executed in Albania]. Pentapostagma (in Greek). 2019-09-24. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  14. ^ "Ο κατάσκοπος Ν. Ακριβογιάννης είχε μεγαλώσει στον Βόλο και εκπαιδεύτηκε από τη CIA" [The spy N. Akrivoyiannis had grown up in Volos and was trained by the CIA]. e-thessalia.gr (in Greek). 2019-09-29. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  15. ^ "Koha kur avionët e Enverit luftonin me botën" [The time when Enver's planes fought the world]. Konica.al (in Albanian). 2019-11-24. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  16. ^ "Gjirokastra Castle". Visit Gjirokasta: Chronicle in Stones. Retrieved 2023-12-31. The castle grounds also house a recovered US Air Force jet with an interesting backstory as to how it got here.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l International Institute for Strategic Studies (1989). The Military Balance, 1989-1990. London: Brassey's. p. 84. ISBN 978-0080375694.