Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti recently made an announcement that Kosovo Army, or as it is commonly known, has received new weaponry in the form of Turkish-made Bayraktar TB-2 drones manufactured in Turkey and added to their arsenal, though he did not disclose their number or cost. On his Facebook page he thanked those officers who completed training to operate them UAVs successfully.
TB-2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle can be controlled or operated autonomously from a distance, making it difficult for enemies to locate and destroy it. According to Baykar Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S, which produces these drones for Turkey’s military forces, its armament consists of various missiles and munitions as well as electronic warfare equipment.
Western officials and experts have widely lauded drones’ effectiveness against Russian aggression in Ukraine. Last month, Britain’s defense secretary Ben Wallace claimed that drones delivered supplies such as ammunition which helped slow Russia’s advance.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, married to Baykar Makina’s daughter and maker of the TB-2 drones, stated in an interview with Die Welt that international demand is sky high for these drones which he claimed are both cheaper and more effective than similar American ones.
He defended the decision to sell drones to Kosovo as being necessary for its security, citing this move as an essential measure. But Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic strongly opposed this purchase as it will damage relations between his nation and Turkey as they both contend with attempts by Kosovo to join NATO despite four of its former member states not recognising it.
Experts do not rule out that Serbia will acquire additional Russian air defence systems to safeguard itself against drone threats that fly at high altitudes, making them harder for traditional radar systems to detect, as well as helicopters flying nearby.
Selcuk Bayraktar, owner of the company that manufactures drones, views his pursuit not simply as a business opportunity but as an investment in his country’s independence and technological independence. His firm is an award-winning provider of drones for sale across numerous nations, such as Azerbaijan and Albania. Their drones are frequently chosen as first choice by countries with smaller budgets or limited airpower capacities in the Caucasus region. His company has signed contracts with 19 nations, selling an unprecedented number of TB-2 drones since July. As well as drones themselves, software and services for operating them are also provided; all this while employing approximately 250 staff with annual production capacity of more than 200 units annually.