Kosovo Signals Start of Armored Vehicle Production Under Trilateral Defense Initiative
Kosovo plans to launch local production of the Albanian-designed “Shota” armored vehicle under a trilateral defense cooperation framework with Albania and Croatia, a move officials say would be the first joint armored vehicle program in the Balkans.
Kosovo is preparing to enter armored vehicle manufacturing, with plans to begin local production of the Albanian-designed “Shota” armored vehicle as part of a trilateral defense cooperation framework with Albania and Croatia.
Ejup Maqedonci, Kosovo’s acting minister of defense, confirmed that discussions are underway with Albania aimed at finalizing a bilateral agreement that would later be expanded to include Croatia. Speaking in an interview broadcast on 60 minuta and reported by Koha, Maqedonci said the partners have in principle agreed to jointly develop and manufacture the vehicle.
According to Maqedonci, production would be geographically distributed, with different components manufactured in each country. If realized, the project would mark the first time three Balkan states jointly produce a military armored vehicle, intended both for their national armed forces and for export markets.
The initiative builds on a memorandum of cooperation in defense and security signed by Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia in March in Tirana, which explicitly leaves room for additional countries to join at a later stage.
Maqedonci also highlighted broader developments in Kosovo’s defense posture, stating that the Kosovo Security Force has exceeded the targets set out in the 2018 Comprehensive Transition Plan. He confirmed that Kosovo already operates counter-drone systems and is evaluating further expansion of these capabilities.
Looking ahead, Kosovo plans to move toward full military operationalization starting next year, including acquisitions in air defense and rotary-wing aviation. Maqedonci said talks are ongoing with the Pentagon regarding the potential procurement of helicopters, underlining that Kosovo’s primary defense partners remain the United States and Turkey, with cooperation also expanding to Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Croatia, and the Czech Republic.
The trilateral defense memorandum has drawn sharp criticism from Serbia, which argues that it violates the 1996 subregional arms control agreement and UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Belgrade maintains that, under the resolution, KFOR remains the only authorized armed force in Kosovo.
