THE ALBANIAN ARMED FORCES

• Document Type: FOIA
• Keywords: EASTERN EUROPE
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005657436
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: July 14, 2011
• Case Number: F-2011-01070
• Publication Date: July 7, 1994

help, Turkey, the only Islamic
country in NA I U, has periodically provided instructors for Albanian
units and is educating a few Albanian officers in its military academy:
Few of the NATO Allies have devoted any attention to Albania's
security needs, and Tirana a to turn to the Islamic world for
training and exercises,
Albania is struggling to create a credible military force after decades of isolation but
cannot afford to modernize its armed forces with its own resources--defense spending
amounted to only $33 million in 1992--and is seeking military assistance from NATO,
especially the United States.
Tirana is likely to ask for US help to modernize its military. The
Albanians want modern air defenses--including F-16 aircraft--surplus
weapons for their ground units, and a modern command and control
system. In the past they have threatened to turn to radical Islamic states
such as Iran and Libya for help if the West is not more forthcoming.
The Albanians were among the first to sign NATO's Partnership for
Army. Albania's 58,000-man Army is a territorial defense force that depends heavily
on reservists and is armed primarily with weapons from the 1940s and 1950s.
The Army reorganized from 23 to nine divisions and plans to reduce
active manpower to 30,000 last year. The new divisions are manned at
Tirana reduced conscript service from 24 to 18 months and resumed
military training last year after years of neglect.
The Albanians had not
received any spare parts for their Chinese-produced copies of Soviet
weapons for over 20 years and desperately need foreign assistance to
modernize their units.
This memorandum was re ared b the Office of European Analysis. Comments and
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 Air and Air Defense Force. The 4,000-man Air and Air Defense Force has 87 1950s-
and 1960s-era aircraft and an msortment of acyiny ft artillery and surface-to-air
missiles[-
- Pilots are able to fly their antique aircraft only 15 hours each year.
Navy. The 3,000-man Navy has an odd assortment of old patrol boats and
minesweepers, and four Whiskey-class submarines for coastal defense.
Only one of the four submarines is operational because of maintenance
problems, and it can submerge only to 30 meters.