List of equipment of the Kosovo Security Force

Modern equipment of the Kosovo Security Force is a list of the equipment currently in use with the Kosovo Security Force. It includes small arms, combat vehicles, drones, light artillery and transport vehicles. Its main mission is the defense of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo, military support for civilian authorities, and participation in international peacekeeping operations.[1] The Kosovo Security Force is currently in the final stage of its process of transitioning into the Kosovo Armed Forces and it is currently building its combat capabilities with support by NATO members, with the goal of the Force being interoperationable with NATO.[2]

Protection equipment

Picture Model Origin Notes Reference
Combat helmets
Ops Core FAST  United States Standard infantry service helm.
ACH (Advanced Combat Helmet)  United States
Armored vests
IOTV (Improved Outer Tactical Vest)  United States Used in the Kosovo Green Digital Camo pattern.

Infantry weapons

Handguns

Model Image Caliber Origin Quantity Note
Glock 17
9x19mm Parabellum  Austria Standard Sidearm.
SIG Sauer M17
9x19mm Parabellum  United States Standard Sidearm for Army Special Forces. Special characteristics: Personalized with KSF Logo and name, both Black and Brown available.

Assault rifles

Model Image Caliber Origin Quantity Note
MPT-55
5.56X45mm NATO  Turkey
IMI Galil
5.56x45mm NATO  Israel
Heckler & KOCH G36
5.56x45mm NATO  Germany Standard Rifle.
M4A1
5.56x45mm NATO  United States
M5 Colt Carbine
5.56x45mm NATO  United States
MPT-76
7.62x51mm NATO  Turkey

Ceremonial Guard guns

These guns is used by Guard of Honour only. It is used for diplomatic reception, Three-Volley Salute etc.

Model Image Caliber Origin Quantity Note
Zastava M59/66
7.62x39mm  Yugoslavia Standard Gun of Guard of Honor
M4A1
5.56x45mm NATO  United States This gun is also used for combat purposes. It is seen in Three-Volley Salute during the ceremony of KLA epic ceremony in March.
M-56
105mm  Yugoslavia It is also seen near the KLA,KPC and KSF Monument in ''Adem Jashari' Camp in Pristina. It is never used for shooting.
M-160 Mortar
160mm  Soviet Union It is also seen near the KLA,KPC and KSF Monument in ''Adem Jashari' Camp in Pristina. It is never used for shooting. The picture shown is original.

Machine guns

Model Image Caliber Origin Quantity Note
M249
5.56x45mm NATO  United States
PMT-76-57A
7.62x51mm NATO  Turkey
M240
7.62x51mm NATO  United States
M60E6
7.62x51mm  United States
M2A1
12.7x99mm NATO (50 BMG)  United States

Precision rifles

Model Image Calibre Origin Quantity Note
SIG Sauer

SIG 716 DMR

7.62x51mm NATO  Germany
Barrett

M82/M107

12.7x99mm NATO  United States
Barrett M99
12.7x99mm NATO  United States The Barrett M99 is a single-shot anti-materiel rifle.

Grenade launchers

Model Image Caliber Origin Quantity Note
Heckler & KOCH HK269
40mm Grenade  Germany Attached to rifle.
MK 19
40mm Grenade  United States Mounted on armored vehicles.

Anti-tank weapons

Model Image Caliber Origin Quantity Note
M72 LAW
66mm  United States Lately shown in KSF special forces operators, during the parade of ''Day of Liberation''.
HAR 66
66mm  Turkey Same product as M72 LAW, but turkish made.
FGM-148 Javelin
127mm  United States 246 (on order)
OMTAS
160mm  Turkey

Weapon station

Model Image Caliber Origin Quantity Note
Aselsan SARP DUAL RCWS
40mm Grenade  Turkey Can also be equipped with a 7.62mm machine gun or 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun.
ASELSAN Alkar 120 mm NATO mortar round  Turkey Self-propelled mortar system. Installed on the BMC Vuran.

Portable anti-drone jammers

Model Image Caliber Origin Quantity Note
Aselsan IHASAVAR
 Turkey

Infantry mortars

Model Image Caliber Origin Quantity Note
MKEK Commando
60mm  Turkey
MKEK NT1
81mm  Turkey
M69 Mortar
82mm  Yugoslavia
M75 Light Mortar
120mm  Yugoslavia

Utility vehicles and unarmored personnel carriers

Example of a KSF vehicle plate
Picture Name Origin Type Number Notes Reference
Can-Am BRP Outlander  Canada All-terrain vehicle —
Lynx Ranger 1200  Finland Snowmobile —
Volkswagen Tiguan  Germany Light utility vehicle — Operated by the Military Police of KSF.
Ford Kuga  United States Light utility vehicle 12
Ford F-550  United States Light utility vehicle —
Mercedes-Benz G Class  Austria
 West Germany /
 Germany 		Light utility vehicle —
Land Rover Defender  United Kingdom Light utility vehicle —
Otokar Akrep  Turkey Light utility vehicle — Operated by the Military Police of KSF. [3]
Volkswagen T6  Germany Utility van — Troop transport.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter  Germany Utility van — Troop transport.
Otokar Navigo  Turkey Utility bus — Troop transport.

Armored vehicles and MRAPs

Picture Name Origin Type Number Notes Reference
Humvee  United States Light armored car 200+ [4][5][6]
Otokar Cobra  Turkey Infantry mobility vehicle 80 [7][8][9]
M1117 Guardian  United States Internal security vehicle 55 [10]
BMC Kirpi  Turkey MRAP 10 [3]
BMC Vuran  Turkey MRAP 33 [3]

Tactical logistic trucks

Picture Name Origin Type Number Notes Reference
Daimler Truck Unimog  West Germany
 Germany 		Military truck — Used as an ambulance vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz NG 1017A  West Germany Military truck —
Iveco Trakker  Italy Military truck —
MB Man  Germany Military truck 15 KSF purchased 12 trucks in 2018; an additional 3 were donated by the German Embassy in 2023.
HX44M 8×8 (HX2)  Austria
 Germany 		Military truck 15 10 purchased by the KSF; 5 others donated by the German government. [11]
MAN TGM  Germany Military truck 2 In the HAZMAT configuration. Operated by the National Guard. [12]

Aviation

Kosovo Security Force is constantly paying attention on developing the air units, so by the end of its transition or earlier these units become a separated Air Force. Air units of KSF are equipped with UAVs and UCAVs (Included in one unit called Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)), but the ministry of defense has declared that Kosovo will have a helicopter fleet by the end of 2025. Kosovo has 3 air bases,and 15+ pilots and it is continuously training pilots in  United States,  Turkey and  Albania.

Name Picture Origin Numbers Notes Reference
Unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs)
Baykar Bayraktar TB2  Turkey 6 [9]
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma  United States 4 [13]

References

[14][15]

[16]

  1. ^ Law No. 06 L-123 on Kosovo Security Force (Law, IV). Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo. 4 January 2019.
  2. ^ "US Marines assist Kosovo Security Force toward NATO Interoperability". News. United States Marine Corps. 2015-04-22. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  3. ^ a b c Top News - FSK-ja blen 14 autoblinda turke/ Kosova, shteti i parë i huaj që merr këto mjete 4x4. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2021-07-13 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Crosby, Alan; Cubolli, Krenare (14 December 2018). "Humvees Shine Headlights On Kosovo's Controversial Vote On Army". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  5. ^ "Kosovo Receives 55 Armored Vehicles Donated By U.S." Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  6. ^ Njekomb.com (2021-09-02). "Sa mjete ushtarake të tipit Humvee ka Ushtria e Kosovës?". Njekomb.org. Retrieved 2022-04-28.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Turqia: Kosova duhet të ketë ushtri". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  8. ^ "43 members of the First Battalion of RRB completed two–months training with armored vehicle "KOBRA"" (Press release). Ministry for the Kosovo Security Force. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  9. ^ a b Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (2023-08-07). "Lock and 'Lokum': Turkish Weapons Bolstering Kosovo's Security Forces". Oryx. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  10. ^ "Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Kosovo". Retrieved 2021-06-06 – via Facebook.
  11. ^ "Fotografi të flotës së kamionëve ushtarakë të ardhur nga Gjermania për FSK-në" [Photos from the fleet of the KSF military trucks that arrived from Germany]. Telegrafi (in Albanian). 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  12. ^ "Gjermania i dhuron FSK-së kamionë në vlerë rreth gjysmë milion euro" [Germany donates truck worth half a million euro to the KSF]. Kosova Press (in Albanian). 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  13. ^ Zeri. "FSK-ja blen 4 dron nga SHBA, jo dyzet".
  14. ^ "Pilotët e FSK-së përfunduan programin e fluturimeve me helikopter".
  15. ^ "Pjesëtari i FSK-së i dyti në shkollën për pilot helikopteri në Turqi".
  16. ^ https://m.facebook.com/kosovamotors/videos/fsk12-ford-kuga-t%C3%AB-reja-p%C3%ABr-forc%C3%ABn-e-siguris%C3%AB-s%C3%AB-kosov%C3%ABskosovamotors-fordkosova/1583094362235685/