Kosovo acquires Baykar drone

PRISTINA

Kosovo has recently become the latest country to acquire the Bayraktar TB2, Türkiye’s first indigenous armed unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Baykar Technologies.

Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced the procurement of the drones, emphasizing that the investment in defense spending would "contribute to the safety of the nation."

In a Facebook post featuring a photo of himself alongside Kosovo Security Force head Bashkim Jashari and Defense Minister Armend Mehaj in front of a Bayraktar TB2, Kurti expressed his satisfaction with the acquisition. "Kosovo is now safer and prouder," he wrote, without disclosing the specifics regarding the number of drones purchased or the financial details of the procurement.

Furthermore, Kurti extended his congratulations to the personnel who had completed training on operating the Bayraktar TB2s, the first of their kind in Kosovo.

While the specific purpose for which these armed drones will be utilized was not specified, Kurti highlighted that during his two-year tenure, the number of soldiers in the Kosovo army had increased by 80 percent, accompanied by a 100 percent rise in the defense budget.

Kosovo has been grappling with escalating tensions, particularly since May, when the highest level of ethnic-based tension was witnessed since its establishment. In the city of Zvecan, predominantly inhabited by Serbs, clashes erupted as the newly elected Albanian mayor faced resistance from the Serb community, who boycotted the elections. The police intervened by employing tear gas to disperse the crowd, ensuring the mayor's access to the city hall.

While Kosovo attributed the events to Serbia, it also placed the Serbian army on high alert.

Bayraktar TB2 has already etched its name in the country’s aviation history as it shattered previous records for endurance and altitude, achieving 27 hours and three minutes flight while reaching an altitude of 27,300 feet.

The medium altitude-long endurance vehicle, which is capable of conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and armed attack missions, has over 600,000 hours of flight operations thus far.