A United States C-17 arrived in Tirana today to deliver Albania’s first order of Black Hawk helicopters with the support of over $50 million in U.S. funding assistance. The new helicopters will help bolster Albania’s rotary wing capabilities and the ability to conduct medical evacuation, personnel recovery, search and rescue missions, and support logistics movements for operations and exercises.
The helicopters are part of a U.S. aid package to one of NATO's smallest allies, which has been phasing out its entire fleet of military aircraft of Chinese and Soviet origin inherited from the communist dictatorship era. Since then, Albania has only managed to rebuild a small fleet of veteran helicopters donated by Germany and Italy, to which four AS532AL Cougars and two H145Ms were added in recent years.
NATO is investing over 50 million euros to renovate and operationalize the Kuçova air base, which will be the first Albanian air base enabled for NATO use. Through a contract, the U.S. Army is expected to train Albanian pilots and maintain the helicopters. Additionally, the U.S. has provided Albania with several 4x4 Humvees and MRAPs.
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