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Albania and Croatia joined NATO 15 years ago [1]

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Date: 2024-04 

RAMSTEIN, Germany – Albania and Croatia joined NATO 15 years ago on April 1, 2009, enhancing security and stability in the Western Balkans region

Albania became a NATO Partner in 1994 and Croatia in 2000; as Partners, both countries worked with NATO in a wide range of areas, with particular emphasis on defence and security sector reform, as well as support for wider democratic and institutional reform. On their way towards accession, Albania had participated in the Membership Action Plan since its inception in 1999 and Croatia joined in 2002.



Both Albania and Croatia have contributed to security in the Western Balkans, a region of strategic importance to the Alliance

Both Allies became official members of the Alliance fifteen year ago and have since contributed to security in the Western Balkans, a region of strategic importance to the Alliance. Soon after the accession, NATO expanded its Air Policing umbrella over the territories of both Allies. Croatia is the only member on the Eastern Adriatic Sea to conduct the 24/7/365 mission with their own fighter aircraft.





NATO membership helped upgrade Albania's Kuçova Air Base to a modern hub for future NATO operations, while Croatia is modernising its fighter fleet with Rafale aircraft. Both Allies actively contributed to enhanced regional security and benefited from the Alliance's collective protection provided by NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defence System. Photos courtesy NATO (left) and French Air and Space Force (right).

For Albania, a special arrangement ensures that fighter jets from the Italian and the Hellenic Air Forces are available to fly scramble missions.

Via their control and reporting centres and radar stations, Southern Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejón, Spain, both Allies are firmly embedded in NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence System.

Albania has recently inaugurated Kuçova Air Base, after transforming the decades-old base into a modern hub for NATO future air operations. Kuçova airbase will serve Albania and support Alliance logistics, air operations, training and exercises. NATO funded the base upgrade with around €50 million.

The Croatian Air Force has provided Air Policing duties under the aegis of NATO with their fighter jets from the early days of the country's membership. The Republic of Croatia is committed to retaining the capability to contribute to safeguarding NATO airspace. In a historic ceremony at the French Air Force base of Mont-de-Marsan on October 2, 2023, Croatia received its first Rafale multi-purpose fighter jet. The air force is scheduled to begin employing a fleet of six Rafale jets during 2024 and add another six jets subsequently.

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[1] Url: https://ac.nato.int/archive/2024/ALB_HRV_15y_in_NATO.aspx

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