Albanian Joint Forces Command
Encyclopedia
The Albanian Joint Forces Command, consists in the branch of the Albanian Armed Forces charged with protecting the territorial integrity of Albania
. The Command has under the proper structure the Rapid Reaction Brigade, the Special Operations Battalion (Albania)
, the Albanian Air Force
, the Albanian Naval Defense Forces
and the Area Support Brigade.
) and NATO Headquarter Tirana, early in 2006 in order to ensure that previous reform efforts were proceeding well and to provide for course corrections if needed. Conclusions of this work encouraged both Ministry of Defence and General Staff
of AAF to continue refining force structure and reducing the size of the Armed Forces by reducing staffs and removing obsolete units making the resultant force more capable and affordable.
A major element of this restructure process was the development of a Joint Forces Command. This streamlined the command and the control of operational units, by contributing more effectively to NATO led Peace Support Operations
.
Another key element of this restructuring was the consolidation of almost all units under three major commands; the Joint Forces Command, the Albanian Training and Doctrine Command
, and the Albanian Logistic Support Command, thus enhancing supervision of subordinate units and reducing the span of control of the General Staff
.
over the contested territory of Kosovo
. Previous preparations during the 90's, included the purchase of the Chinese
antitank missile HJ-8
, and the antiaircraft HN-5
, an improved version of the Russia
n SA-7. During the 1998-1999 Kosovo War
a vast part of the Albanian Armed Forces were deployed along the Albania
n-Yugoslavian border.
Main Battle Tanks and 130 M113
Armoured Personal Carriers. Most of the Cold War
-era equipment from the Soviet Union
and China
has been retired or put in storage some has been scraped or sold off. With the new structure, the Albanian Armed Forces does not keep any main battle tanks on active duty although they are in reserve. Antitank weaponry, also combined with Helicopter
capability will be the priority.
Albania
is now a member of NATO and procedures for the acquisition of a new APC
in order to achieve the standards required for troop training are underway to achieve the necessary compatibility with NATO equipment standards.
On 2010 the Joint Forces Command authorized personnel strength will be approximately 8,200. (With the new structure, the 5 Reserve Brigades have been deactivated)
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. The Command has under the proper structure the Rapid Reaction Brigade, the Special Operations Battalion (Albania)
Special Operations Battalion (Albania)
The Special Operations Battalion or commonly known as BOS is the main special forces unit of the Albanian Armed Forces. Today is the most elite unit of the Albanian Army, as well as being one of the best trained and most professional special operations unit in the region...
, the Albanian Air Force
Albanian Air Force
The Albanian Air Force is the national Air Force of the Albanian military. Currently it operates under the Albanian Joint Forces Command and it is regrouped in the Albanian Air Brigade...
, the Albanian Naval Defense Forces
Albanian Naval Defense Forces
The Albanian Naval Defense Forces are the naval branch of the Albanian military.Their name was changed from the Coastal Defense Command of the Albanian Army in 1996. With the new structure the naval forces are regrouped in the Albanian Navy Brigade under the Albanian Joint Forces Command. The...
and the Area Support Brigade.
History
Albania requested a Defense Assessment from the USA in coordination with NATO (Allied Command TransformationAllied Command Transformation
Allied Command Transformation is a NATO military command, which was formed in 2003 after North Atlantic Treaty Organisation restructuring....
) and NATO Headquarter Tirana, early in 2006 in order to ensure that previous reform efforts were proceeding well and to provide for course corrections if needed. Conclusions of this work encouraged both Ministry of Defence and General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
of AAF to continue refining force structure and reducing the size of the Armed Forces by reducing staffs and removing obsolete units making the resultant force more capable and affordable.
A major element of this restructure process was the development of a Joint Forces Command. This streamlined the command and the control of operational units, by contributing more effectively to NATO led Peace Support Operations
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
.
Another key element of this restructuring was the consolidation of almost all units under three major commands; the Joint Forces Command, the Albanian Training and Doctrine Command
Albanian Training and Doctrine Command
The Albanian Training and Doctrine Command consists of the Albanian Defence Academy, the Skanderbeg Military University, the NCO "Tomson" Academy, the Basic Training Brigade, a consolidated Troops School, a Defence Analysis Center, and a Training Support Center.TRADOC focuses in:* Individual basic...
, and the Albanian Logistic Support Command, thus enhancing supervision of subordinate units and reducing the span of control of the General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
.
Basic History
In 1999, (based on the old structure The Albanian Land Forces were the main Albanian Armed Forces battle component), the AAF were in alert due to a possible military confrontation with YugoslaviaYugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
over the contested territory of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. Previous preparations during the 90's, included the purchase of the Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
antitank missile HJ-8
HJ-8
The HJ-8 or Hongjian-8 is a second generation tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided anti-tank missile system which was originally deployed by the People's Liberation Army since the late 1980s. Pakistan produces this missile system under licence as the Baktar-Shikan at Kahuta Research...
, and the antiaircraft HN-5
HN-5
The HN-5 , is a family of first generation Chinese man-portable air-defense systems based on Soviet technology. The literal translation of Hong Ying is Red Tassel, but HN abbreviation is used to avoid confusion with HY series anti-ship missiles of Silkworm missile family...
, an improved version of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n SA-7. During the 1998-1999 Kosovo War
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
a vast part of the Albanian Armed Forces were deployed along the Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n-Yugoslavian border.
Developments
The Albanian Land Forces used to field more than 721 Type 59Type 59
The Type 59 main battle tank is a Chinese produced version of the Soviet T-54A tank, an improvement over the ubiquitous T-54/55. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service in 1959, with serial production beginning in 1963...
Main Battle Tanks and 130 M113
M113 armored personnel carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
Armoured Personal Carriers. Most of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
-era equipment from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
has been retired or put in storage some has been scraped or sold off. With the new structure, the Albanian Armed Forces does not keep any main battle tanks on active duty although they are in reserve. Antitank weaponry, also combined with Helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
capability will be the priority.
Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
is now a member of NATO and procedures for the acquisition of a new APC
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
in order to achieve the standards required for troop training are underway to achieve the necessary compatibility with NATO equipment standards.
Small arms
- TT-33TT-33The TT-30 is a Russian semi-automatic pistol. It was developed in the early 1930s by Fedor Tokarev as a service pistol for the Soviet military to replace the Nagant M1895 revolver that had been in use since tsarist times, though it never fully replaced the M1895.-Development:In 1930, the...
Main service sidearm - Makarov PMMakarov PMThe PM is a semi-automatic pistol design. Under the project leadership of Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov, it became the Soviet Union's standard military side arm from 1951-1991.-Development:...
Used by National Guard - Beretta 92Beretta 92The Beretta 92 is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The model 92 was designed in 1972 and production of many variants in different calibers continues today...
Used by special forces - MP5 Used by special forces
- MP7 Used by special forces
- AK-74AK-74The AK-74 is an assault rifle developed in the early 1970s in the Soviet Union as the replacement for the earlier AKM...
service rifleMain - AK-47AK-47The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
service rifleMain - AKMAKMThe AKM is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an upgraded version of the AK-47 rifle and was developed in the 1950s....
Main service rifle - Type 56 Main service rifle
- HK G36 Used by special forces
- ARX-160 Used by Albanian troops in Afganistan
- HK 416 Evalution only
- HK 417HK 417The HK417 is a battle rifle designed and manufactured in Germany by Heckler & Koch. It is a gas-operated, selective fire rifle with a rotating bolt and is essentially an enlarged HK416. Chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO round, it is intended for use as a designated marksman rifle, and in other roles...
Used as sniper by special forces - Dragunov SVD Main service sniper
- RPKRPKThe RPK is a 7.62x39mm light machine gun of Soviet design, developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the late 1950s, parallel with the AKM assault/battle rifle...
Main service LMG - DShKM Being withdrawn from service
- DP-27 Being withdrawn from service
- PKMPK machine gunThe PK is a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia. The PK machine gun was introduced in the 1960s and replaced the SGM and RPD machine guns in Soviet service...
Moderately used - KPVT Being withdrawn from service
- ZU-23-2ZU-23-2The ZU-23-2, also known as ZU-23, is a Soviet towed 23 mm anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannon. ZU stands for Zenitnaya Ustanovka - anti-aircraft mount.-Development history:...
Main service AA gun - HN-5HN-5The HN-5 , is a family of first generation Chinese man-portable air-defense systems based on Soviet technology. The literal translation of Hong Ying is Red Tassel, but HN abbreviation is used to avoid confusion with HY series anti-ship missiles of Silkworm missile family...
Being withdrawn from service - RPG-7RPG-7The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
Main service AT weapon - HJ-8HJ-8The HJ-8 or Hongjian-8 is a second generation tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided anti-tank missile system which was originally deployed by the People's Liberation Army since the late 1980s. Pakistan produces this missile system under licence as the Baktar-Shikan at Kahuta Research...
Moderately used - SG-43
Artillery
- Type 67 Main service mortar
- M-46130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)The 130 mm towed field gun M-46 M1954 is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1954...
100 Type 59-1 - D-20152 mm towed gun-howitzer M1955 (D-20)The 152 mm gun-howitzer M1955, also known as the D-20, is a manually loaded, towed 152 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union during the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1955, where it was designated the M1955. Its GRAU index is 52-P-546...
Chinese and Soviet manufactured - D-1 Being withdrawn from service
- ML-20ML-20The 152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 , was a Soviet gun-howitzer. The gun was developed by the design bureau of the plant no 172, headed by F. F. Petrov, as a deep upgrade of the 152-mm gun M1910/34, in turn based on the 152-mm siege gun M1910, a pre-World War I design by Schneider. It was in...
Withdrawned from service - M-30M-30 122 mm howitzerThe 122 mm howitzer M1938 was a Soviet 121.92 mm howitzer. The weapon was developed by the design bureau of Motovilikha Plants, headed by F. F. Petrov, in the late 1930s, and was in production from 1939 to 1955. The M-30 saw action in World War II, mainly as a divisional artillery piece...
Withdrawned from service - D-4485 mm divisional gun D-44The 85-mm divisional gun D-44 was a Soviet divisional 85-mm calibre field artillery gun used after World War II. It was designed as the replacement for the 76 mm divisional gun M1942 . The gun is no longer in front-line service with the Russian Ground Forces, although some 200 of the Chinese Type...
Main service field gun
Vehicles
- BMP-1BMP-1The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty 1 , meaning "infantry fighting vehicle". The BMP-1 was the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle...
- BMP-2BMP-2The BMP-2 is a second-generation, amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following the BMP-1 of the 1960s....
- BTR-50BTR-50The BTR-50 The BTR-50 The BTR-50 (BTR stands for Bronetransporter (БТР, Бронетранспортер, literally "armored transporter") is a Soviet amphibious armored personnel carrier (APC) based on the PT-76 light tank. The BTR-50 is tracked, unlike most in the BTR series, which are wheeled. The BTR-50...
- BTR-152BTR-152The BTR-152 was a non-amphibious Soviet wheeled armored personnel carrier that entered Soviet service in 1950. By the early 1970s it had been replaced in the infantry vehicle role by the BTR-60...
- BRDM-2BRDM-2The BRDM-2 is an amphibious armoured patrol car used by Russia and the former Soviet Union. It was also known under designations BTR-40PB, BTR-40P-2 and GAZ 41-08...
- Humvee
- Iveco VM 90Iveco VM 90The Iveco VM 90 is an Italian multirole military vehicle. It is a hybrid, somewhere between a truck and tactical SUV, manufactured by Iveco, on the base of the Iveco Daily...
- T-55T-55The T-54 and T-55 tanks were a series of main battle tanks designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just before the end of the Second World War. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank for armored units of the Soviet Army, armies of...
- M113
Manpower and equipment
As of 2005, the Land Forces Command had:- 16,000 + active personnel and 35,000 reserves:.
On 2010 the Joint Forces Command authorized personnel strength will be approximately 8,200. (With the new structure, the 5 Reserve Brigades have been deactivated)
Structure