Albania
Armed Forces
In 2002, Albania's armed forces have launched a 10-year reform program sponsored and supervised by the U.S. Defence Department in order to trim down and thoroughly modernise its current standing force of more than 30,000 troops. The same radical reform will be implemented on any surplus equipment it has, including airplanes, tanks, helicopters, artillery pieces, even navy ships, weapons and ammunition, which are to be reduced. Albania will reduce them by selling or demolishing them. The General Staff of the Albanian army was satisfied that Albania's fractious politics have not obstructed any of the reforms undertaken by the armed forces. The Albanian army participates in the peacekeeping missions in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
In 2003, a draft of the Law on the Statute of the servicemen at the Armed Forces was adopted. The draft is meant to institutionalise the reforms were that implemented in the Albanian army in the last years. The rights and obligations of the servicemen have been defined in accordance to the practice of the NATO countries.
TOTAL ARMED FORCES
ACTIVE estimated 21,500
Terms of service: 12 months
The Albanian armed forces are being re-constituted. The army is to consist of 1 Rapid Reaction Brigade (active), 5 infantry brigades (res), 1 tank battalion (res), 1 commando regiment, 1 artillery battalion (res), 1 engineer battalion. Restructuring is now planned to be completed by 2010.
ARMY: some 16,000
EQUIPMENT
MBT 373 T-59
APC 86 PRC Type-531, 37 M-113
TOWED ARTILLERY 122mm: 198;130mm: 18;152mm: 54
MRL 130mm: 18
MOR 82mm: 259; 120mm: 550 M-120; 160mm: 100 M-43
ATGW 30 PRC Red Arrow
AD GUNS 125 including 37mm: M-1939; 57mm: S-60
NAVY: estimated 2,000
BASES Durres, Vlore
PATROL AND COASTAL COMBATANTS (serviceability in doubt)20
TORPEDO CRAFT 11 PRC Huchuan PHT with 2 533mm TT
PATROL CRAFT 9
1 PRC Shanghai II PCC, 3 FSU Po-2 PFI<, 5 (US) PB Mk3 (for Coast Guard use)<
MINE WARFARE 2
MINE COUNTERMEASURES (serviceability in doubt) 2
2 FSU T-301 MSC, (plus 2 FSU T-43 MSO in reserve)
SUPPORT AND MISCELLANEOUS 2
1AGOR, 1 AT (serviceability in doubt)
AIR FORCE 3,500
26 combat aircraft (serviceability in doubt), no armed helicopters
Flying hours 10-15
FGA 2 air regiments with 9 MiG-17, 11 MiG-19, 6 MiG-21
TPT 1 squadron with 4 An-2
HEL 1 regiment with 8 Mi-4
TRG 7 CJ-6, 6 MiG-15
FORCES ABROAD
IRAQ (Peace Support): 70
UN AND PEACEKEEPING
AFGHANISTAN (ISAF): 81
BOSNIA (SFOR II):70
GEORGIA (UNOMIG): 3 observations
PARAMILITARY
INTERNAL SECURITY FORCE "SPECIAL POLICE": 1 batallion (Tirana) plus platoon sized units in major towns
BORDER POLICE(Ministry of Public Order): estimated 500
FOREIGN FORCES
NATO (COMMZW): a small number of support troops for KFOR
Source: The Military Balance 2004 - 2005, published by the Institute of International and Strategic Studies