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# Croatia and Albania Join U.S. Army Drone and Counter-Drone Procurement Initiative
- URL: https://www.adriadefense.com/croatia-and-albania-join-u-s-army-drone-and-counter-drone-procurement-initiative/
- Published: 2026-10-15T06:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-15T06:00:00.000Z
- Description: Croatia and Albania sign agreements to access U.S. Army drone and counter-drone procurement marketplaces at AUSA 2026 in Washington.
- Author: AdriaDefense Desk
- Tags: AUSA 2026, Croatia, Albania, SEE, Counter-Drone, Defense procurement

**Croatia and Albania have signed statements of intent to participate in the U.S. Army's drone and counter-drone procurement marketplaces, joining six other countries in an initiative designed to accelerate access to unmanned systems and related defense technologies.**

The agreements were signed on October 13 during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. Representatives from Canada, Egypt, Japan, Kuwait, Morocco and Panama also participated in the ceremony, hosted by Acting U.S. Secretary of the Army Adam R. Telle and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Brent G. Ingraham.

Croatia was represented by State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Tomislav Galić, while Albania was represented by Major General Petrit Çuni, according to the U.S. Army's official account of the event.

### Faster Access to Drone and Counter-Drone Systems

The initiative consists of two secure digital marketplaces, one for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and another for counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS). Participating countries can use a streamlined Foreign Military Sales procurement mechanism known as the *FMS Fast Lane* to acquire pre-approved systems through existing U.S. government contracts.

According to the U.S. Army, the process is intended to reduce procurement timelines from months to days by completing export approvals, technology-transfer requirements and other administrative procedures in advance.

The counter-drone marketplace covers technologies including interceptors, radar systems, sensors, electronic warfare equipment and passive protection measures.

The Washington signing follows an earlier expansion of the initiative at Eurosatory 2026 in Paris, where nine European countries, including Poland, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, signed similar statements of intent.

For Croatia and Albania, participation establishes a framework for accessing U.S. drone and counter-drone procurement channels. However, the statements of intent do not themselves constitute equipment orders, and neither country announced specific purchases, contract values or delivery schedules during the ceremony.