operational conversion trainers designated FT-5. More than eighty F-5 single-seat and twenty FT-5 two-seat aircraft would enter Albanian service, but they did not fare well in air policing duties against Yugoslavian incursions due to their limited speed. Nevertheless, the F-5 would remain a staple of Albanian regiments for decades with the final examples being withdrawn with the cessation of all fighter operations by Albania in 2005. Chengdu F-7 1970 saw delivery of the most advanced combat aircraft to ever enter service with the Albanian Air Force. The Chengdu F-7A is the export version of China's indigenous development of the Soviet-designed Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21. While one of the earliest versions of this Chinese fighter, it still represented a major upgrade over the numerous F-5 and F-6 fighters equipping Albanian regiments. Locally called the MiG-21F even though they were completely Chinese-built and supplied, the F-7A provided the Albanians with their only Mach 2 capable aircraft. Only twelve aircraft were delivered, and they equipped a single squadron of the Albanian Air Force. Initially deployed to Rinas Air Base with Aviation Regiment 7594. In 1976 the squadron moved to Gjadër Air Base as the 1st Squadron of Aviation Regiment 5646 (later re-designated Aviation Regiment 4010). After the base's deactivation in 2000, the aircraft were stored until 2002. Two surviving examples were moved back to Rinas and assigned to the 2nd Squadron of Aviation Regiment 4020, though it is unclear whether they were actually flown before they were officially retired in 2004. During the aircraft's operational career, two aircraft were lost to accidents (one in 1974 and one in 1982). Other fixed-wing aircraft While the vast majority of fixed-wing aircraft in the Albanian Air Force have been fighters, a small selection of other aircraft have been employed for transport, training, and other uses. The small size of the country and its defensive posture limited the need for military airlift, with most transport tasks being within the scope of the country's helicopter fleet. While Albania did maintain a meaningful number of training aircraft, these were withdrawn as the fighter force was mothballed, and other fixed-wing operations were reduced. 2011 saw the final fixed-wing operations with the withdrawal of the final transport and training aircraft from service. Polikarpov Po-2 Along with the initial delivery of Yak-9 fighters, the Soviet Union provided four Polikarpov Po-2 utility biplanes to the country. Capable of a variety of utility roles, the pre-World