Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti on November 8 inaugurated the country’s first domestically produced combat drone, named Skifteri (“The Hawk”), developed by the company Future Minds Academy in the eastern city of Gjilan.

Kurti noted that Kosovo has already invested significantly in modernising its defence capabilities by purchasing unmanned aerial vehicles from allied countries, including Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 and Skydagger drones, as well as the American-made Puma reconnaissance drones.

“Now we are also producing combat drones ourselves,” he said.

He was joined at the event by Gjilan Mayor Alban Hyseni, where they also visited local firms MIGA SkyShield MAR and Future Minds Academy, which are involved in the production of both military and civilian drones.

“We are building and developing the future of the defence industry and the advancement of combat drones in Kosovo,” Kurti said, highlighting the growing importance of domestic production.

According to technical details shared by Kurti, the K1 suicide drone, another locally designed model, can reach speeds of up to 180 km/h and a maximum altitude of 2,500 metres. The newly presented Skifteri drone achieves a maximum altitude of 5,000 metres, a speed of 270 km/h and an operational range of 20 kilometres.

The prime minister pledged continued government support for innovation in the defence and technology sectors, both at central and local levels. “We will support and encourage capacity building and productivity, while not stopping investments in defence and security,” Kurti said.