Early this March, the information that NATO had put into operation and reopened the Kucove Air Base in Albania was barely noticed. On March 4th this year, the ceremony of opening the Kucove Air Base began with the Albanian national anthem, attended by the military and political leadership of the country, the defense ministers of Turkey and Italy, military envoys from North Macedonia, Montenegro, the self-proclaimed Kosovo, representatives of private capital such as Haluk Bayraktar, owner of the Baykar company, as well as representatives of NATO.
The reconstruction of this base cost 51 million euros, which includes the renovation of the runway, access roads, and warehouses, as well as increasing NATO interoperability and strengthening early warning missions over the country. This base, located 80 kilometers south of Tirana, will serve Albania and provide logistical support, police surveillance, training, and exercises to support NATO operations.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that NATO’s choice to use this facility as a tactical base confirms the fact that small Albania continues to add value to the NATO Alliance.
President Begaj stated that the opening of the Kuçove Air Base is “a great privilege for Albania and one of NATO’s largest investments” in the country. “The NATO base symbolizes a bridge where the past and present meet. It is also a symbol of security, and Albania was not chosen by chance. It is a necessary and welcome investment because Russian aggression in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East present challenges,” Begaj said, emphasizing that the opening of the NATO Kuçove base is proof of the trust of allies who see “a worthy and dedicated partner” in Albania.
History of the Kucove air base
The construction of the Kucove air base began in the early 1950s and was completed in 1952, during a period when Albania was strongly connected to the Soviet Union under the leadership of Enver Hoxha. This alliance was part of a broader strategy to strengthen Albania’s defensive capabilities against threats from the West and to bolster the socialist bloc in Europe. The military airfield in Kucove, Albania, was sometimes referred to as Stalin City.
The establishment and operational capabilities of the base were largely reliant on Soviet military assistance. The first Soviet bomber, the Ilyushin Il-28, landed there in 1957, followed by the deployment of MiG-17 aircraft. Soviet engineers and military advisors were stationed in Kucove to oversee the construction and train Albanian personnel. This collaboration ensured that the base met the standards required for integration into the Warsaw Pact defense network led by the Soviet Union.
Relations between Albania and the Soviet Union began to deteriorate in the early 1960s. Ideological differences between Enver Hoxha and the Soviet leadership, particularly after the death of Joseph Stalin, led to a gradual estrangement. By 1961, Albania had officially severed ties with the Soviet Union, instead aligning itself with Maoist China.
After the ideological split between Albania and the Soviet Union in the early 1960s, Albania, under Enver Hoxha’s leadership, sought a new ally to support its military infrastructure. This search led to a partnership with the People’s Republic of China, which began providing military assistance, including aircraft, to Albania. With the cessation of Soviet military aid, Albania turned to China for its defense needs. Starting in the mid-1960s, Chinese aircraft began arriving at the Kucove air base. These aircraft included the Shenyang J-6, which was the Chinese version of the Soviet MiG-19, and later the Chengdu J-7, based on the Soviet MiG-21.
Relations between China and Albania began to weaken in the late 1970s and early 1980s as China started to open up to the West and reform its economy. This shift in Chinese foreign policy led to a reduction in military assistance to Albania. Consequently, the Kucove air base and the rest of the Albanian military increasingly had to rely on domestic resources and existing stocks of Chinese equipment. The base continued to operate with Chinese aircraft for several decades. In recent years, Albania’s orientation towards NATO and the modernization of its military infrastructure have brought new developments to the Kucove air base, including potential upgrades to align it with NATO standards.
Geographical location and strategic significance of the Kucove air base
The Kucove Air Base is located 85 kilometers south of the capital, Tirana. Its geographical position is of great importance for several reasons. First, the base is situated in a relatively flat area, which facilitates easy construction and maintenance of infrastructure. Second, its location in central Albania allows for quick access to all parts of the country, which is crucial for efficient defense and rapid response to threats.
Strategically, this base is located on the well-known “Cvijić Line.” This is a vital strategic line drawn by the renowned Serbian geographer Jovan Cvijić, which historically divided the Eastern and Western Roman Empires. Whoever controls this line controls the Balkans and all of Europe. Specifically, this line is geographically expressed by the line from Vlore-Skopje, Kosovo and Metohija-Serbia, to Belgrade and the Danube.
On this line, there is another NATO base, the Bondsteel base near Uroševac. This positioning of NATO bases in the Balkans directly on the “Cvijić Line” demonstrates that Americans are keenly aware of the strategic advantage provided by this geography. By building significant military capacities along the so-called Cvijić Line, the USA has inexorably advanced toward its strategic goal for this part of the world. The Russian special operation (SVO) has significantly accelerated these plans, so the new-old European security policy aims to discipline the Serbs to the fullest extent for safety along communication, economic, and other routes passing through the former Yugoslav space, primarily the Danube.
Militarily, what sets this base apart from others in the region is the presence of an underground shelter for combat aircraft. Additionally, it is a modern base with two runways, 2853 and 2500 meters long.
Kucove is now a key component of NATO’s regional defense infrastructure. Its geographical location enables rapid deployment and logistical support, making it essential for maintaining operational readiness. The base is part of a broader network of forward airfields, including Petrovec near Skopje, Golubovci near Podgorica, Dubrava near Tuzla, and the 57th Air Base at Mihail Kogălniceanu Airport near Constanța, Romania, which will be completed by 2030. This network is designed to ensure the rapid and efficient transfer of NATO’s strategic air assets, enhancing the Alliance’s rapid response capability.
In this context, the strategic significance of the Kucove base goes beyond its immediate military functions. It is a key element in a broader geopolitical strategy, connecting a line of strategic airfields from Aviano in Italy, through Catania in Sicily, to Incirlik in Turkey. This network secures key energy corridors from Central Asia to Western Europe, particularly Italy, ensuring the stability and protection of critical energy supplies, all with the aim of bypassing Russian energy resources. This positioning not only strengthens NATO’s assertiveness but also supports the broader goals of the Alliance in terms of bringing the Balkans under its control, securing energy transit, and opening a strong strategic front against Russia.
Albania Offers Vlora and Durres
During the opening of the Kucove air base, the Albanian Defense Minister Niko Peleshi stated that “they also have plans for Porto Romano” and the possibility of opening the Porto Romano Naval Base. Earlier this year, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama also mentioned the Porto Romano port near Durres, as well as the Pasalimani port near Vlora.
In today’s interview with Albanian media, he confirmed the construction of a commercial port at Porto Romano near Durres, where a part of the port would be reserved for a NATO military naval base. He stated that the tender for the construction of the new commercial port at Porto Romano is open and that 15 international companies have expressed interest in building this port, which will cost 427 million euros.
Strategically, the coast near Durres is quite sandy and shallow, requiring certain technical efforts, which means it will cost more. Initially, the idea from the Albanian side was not to build a commercial, but only a military base. However, the Albanians, as cunning traders, now want to present the NATO alliance with the idea of a commercial port with a military wing because they are not interested in having only a military base, but also a port for Albanian cartels worldwide. It is still uncertain whether NATO will accept this, but given the strategic positioning circumstances, nothing can surprise us; the member states’ people will pay for it all.
On the other hand, the Pasalimani port near Vlora was once a Soviet port where submarine entrances can still be found on the nearby island of Sazan. Albania views this as an investment in creating Greater Albania, and this is no longer hidden. In this direction, they are ready to sell and hand over everything to the NATO alliance. The alliance currently finds this advantageous, especially the proximity to the Black Sea and the Bosphorus for the quick transfer of troops and equipment, as well as control over the Strait of Otranto and the Adriatic Sea. All of this is happening rapidly because the front in Ukraine is becoming increasingly unstable. The positioning is ongoing.
