Gjadër Air Base

The closure was a direct result of the modernization of the Albanian Armed Forces and the retirement of its entire fleet of obsolete Soviet-era and Chinese-made aircraft (MiG-19/Shenyang J-6 and MiG-21/Chengdu J-7). This military restructuring was part of Albania's strategic shift away from its Cold War, isolationist doctrine and towards integration with NATO, which it joined in 2009. The high operational costs and the end of the aircraft's service life made the base redundant for active flight missions.

Since its decommissioning, the Gjadër Air Base has primarily served as a military storage facility and an aircraft boneyard. The unique underground hangar now houses dozens of Albania's retired MiG fighters, preserved from the elements. The site has been largely inactive, occasionally used for military training and attracting interest from urban explorers and journalists due to the unique collection of Cold War-era aircraft stored inside the mountain.

Built between 1969 and the mid-1970s during the height of Albania's communist isolation under Enver Hoxha, Gjadër Air Base was a highly strategic and secretive military installation. Its most remarkable feature is a massive underground hangar complex, tunneled 600 meters into the side of a mountain. This 'bunker' was designed to protect up to 60 aircraft and personnel from a potential nuclear attack, reflecting Hoxha's 'bunkerization' policy. The base housed the elite fighter squadrons of the Albanian Air Force, operating the most advanced jets in its inventory, primarily Chinese-made Shenyang J-6 and Chengdu J-7 fighters. It was a key symbol of Albania's Cold War military posture, prepared for a multi-front war against perceived threats from both NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

The base is set for a major revitalization and transformation. In August 2022, it was announced that NATO would invest over 50 million euros to upgrade Gjadër into a modern NATO Tactical Air Base. This project is separate from the already completed upgrade of Kuçovë Air Base. The plan involves modernizing the infrastructure to support NATO air policing, logistics, and training. It is expected to house various assets, including unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). This development will transform the dormant Cold War relic into a forward-operating base for the Alliance, significantly enhancing NATO's strategic capabilities in the Western Balkans.