theoderich hat geschrieben: ↑Mo 14. Feb 2022, 10:53Contracts For Jan. 21, 2022
AV Inc., Simi Valley, California, was awarded an $11,010,530 firm-fixed-price contract for the Puma Long Endurance unmanned aircraft system. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Simi Valley, California, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 25, 2022. Fiscal 2021 Foreign Military Sales (Kosovo) funds in the amount of $11,010,530 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-22-C-0021).
The Kosovo Security Forces (Forca e Sigurisë së Kosovës: KSF) has received AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) from the United States during the first week of September, Kosovo Defence Minister Ejup Maqedonci announced on 8 September.
Maqedonci did not provide further details on the acquisition except that it was carried out through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, and that payment was made in 2021.
The Kosovo Security Force (Forca e Sigurisë së Kosovës: KSF) has received “thousands” of Baykar Skydagger first-person view (FPV) quadcopters from Türkiye, acting Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, announced on 8 October.
The shipment was received into Pristina International Airport on 8 October, Kurti said on his official Facebook account.
Kurti posted images showing Kosovo's newly acquired Rheinmetall MAN HX2 tactical military trucks loaded with drone containers which, he noted, were delivered three months ahead of schedule.
There are three known and advertised Skydagger models. The smallest RTF 7 has a range of 10 km, speed of 130 km/h, and carries a 2 kg payload while having a maximum flight time of 20 minutes without load and 12 minutes loaded. The mid-sized RTF 10 has the same range as RTF 7 but is slower at 120 km/h, carries a 3 kg payload, and has a maximum flight time of 30 minutes unloaded and 12 minutes loaded. The biggest RTF 15 also has a 10 km range, 130 km/h speed, but carries a 5 kg payload achieving 36 minutes flight time without load and 14 minutes loaded.
It is not clear what type of Skydagger quadcopters were delivered to Kosovo, although local media reports suggest delivery of the RTF 15.
Kosovo Security Force Equipped with Thousands of Skydagger Kamikaze Combat Drones
The Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the Acting Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, and officers of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), took delivery of containers containing thousands of Skydagger kamikaze combat drones, which arrived today at Prishtina International Airport “Adem Jashari.”
These kamikaze drones, also known as FPV (First-Person View) RTF (Ready to Fly) Skydagger models, are drones equipped with explosive devices designed to strike both moving and stationary enemy targets. The contract was signed in December of last year with the renowned Turkish company Baykar, the parent company of the Skydagger manufacturer. The delivery of the Skydagger drones had originally been planned for January 2026, but they have arrived three months earlier.
The Skydagger drones add to the Kosovo Security Force’s fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles, alongside the TB2 Bayraktar (Turkish-made) and Puma (American-made) aircraft.
