Kosovo Security Force "in step with the plan for transformation into the army"

2024-01-13 12:51:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Kosovo Security Force "in step with the plan for transformation into the

The process of transforming the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into a force with military capabilities - which has entered the sixth year of the ten-year plan - is developing according to plans, the Ministry of Defense of Kosovo has announced.

Liridona Gashi, political advisor to the Minister of Defense, Ejup Macedonci, has told Radio Free Europe that this process is already in the second phase of the implementation of the comprehensive plan. This phase, which, according to her, has been completed about 85 percent, is expected to be completed next year.

"This phase envisages the raising of combat capacities. During these two years, the focus is more on investing in modern weapons systems... as Kosovo's request to buy Javelin missiles has already been published. But this is not the only system we plan to buy", said Gashi for Radio Free Europe.

The American Department of State (DASH) has confirmed on January 11 that Kosovo has made a request to buy 246 Javelin missiles, worth 75 million dollars.

The US, according to DASH, continues to support Kosovo in the "transparent transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into a multi-ethnic force for territorial defense, interoperable with NATO, subject to civilian supervision".

The process of transforming the KSF into the Armed Forces of Kosovo started in December 2018, when the Assembly of Kosovo approved legal changes to change the mandate of the KSF. This process is expected to last ten years, until 2028.

According to the Comprehensive Transition Plan, the details of which are not public, some of the KSF's new responsibilities would include maintaining sovereignty and territorial integrity, providing military support to civilian authorities and participating in international operations.

In the third and last phase of the KSF transformation - which starts from 2025 and ends in 2028 - Gashi said that it is planned to increase air capacities, such as the purchase of helicopters and other air vehicles.

In many directions, Gashi has said that work is being done at a faster pace than was planned in the transformation plan. One of them, she said, concerns the recruitment of new members of the KSF. From 2021 to 2023, according to her, 1,836 new soldiers have been recruited.

KSF currently has around 2,500 members. After the transition period, this number is expected to increase to over 7,500 and include active and reservist members.

Even Mentor Vrajolli, from the Kosovar Center for Security Studies (KKSS), says that the responsible authorities are fulfilling the requirements for the transformation process. According to him, based on the commitments so far, the objectives will be achieved faster than it was foreseen.

"However, I don't know if there is a detailed plan for this or if it is thanks to the good will of the Government. What has been noticed by the current Government is that there is greater investment in the defense sector", says Vrajolli for Radio Free Europe.

However, the deputy of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Hisen Berisha, member of the Parliamentary Committee for Security and Defense Issues in the Assembly of Kosovo, thinks otherwise.

He estimates that the budget allocated for investments in armaments may cause delays in the fulfillment of the ten-year transition plan.

"There is a symbolic increase in the budget for the defense sector. With this amount, only survival, salaries and others are possible. If we continue with this trend, with delays in the implementation of the KSF project, expectations will not be met within the specified time frame", emphasizes Berisha.

The budget allocated for this year for the Ministry of Defense of Kosovo is over 153 million euros. The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, in October last year said that for two and a half years of governance, the executive has doubled the budget for the KSF. Armament investments, according to him, have increased by 191 percent.

Meanwhile, in 2022, the Government of Kosovo established the Security Fund, where citizens and different donors can contribute to the budget of this ministry through a bank account.

The value of these contributions has never been made public, but from the Ministry of Defense of Kosovo, last year they told REL that these funds will be invested to "fulfill the main objective, which is to guarantee the safety of citizens and the protection territorial".

In addition to the request for the purchase of Javelin missiles, last year Kosovo also bought Bayraktar drones from Turkey.

In 2018, Humvee-type military vehicles arrived in Kosovo from the USA. For the supply of 51 vehicles of this type, the Government of Kosovo in 2018 had signed a contract with the American company, AM General.

Two years later, Kosovo also bought other military vehicles from the USA, while in 2021, the American Government donated 55 ASV (Armored Security Vehicle) vehicles to Kosovo.

The government of Kosovo has also approved a decision for the purchase of American drones, while the Kosovar authorities have warned that the future army will also be equipped with helicopters./REL