Jan 12, 2024. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
The US
State Department has approved a potential sale of 246 Javelin anti-tank
missiles to Kosovo for an estimated $75 million, news agency reports said on
Thursday.
According to Reuters, the Pentagon said that the prime contractors will be the Javelin Joint Venture between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Missiles and Defense.
The
Associated Press reported that US Ambassador Christopher Hill told Serbian
President Aleksandar Vucic about Kosovo’s request to buy the missiles adding
that Vucic expressed “deep disappointment”.
“This
proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security of
the United States by improving the security of a European partner which is an
important force for political and economic stability in Europe,” the State
Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said.
Serbia’s
president is reported to have said that “for us, it is of great importance that
the peace in the region is not broken and that Serbia will continue to act
responsibly and contribute to stability in the Balkans”.
The Javelin
missile system has been used by Ukrainian forces to destroy Russian tanks and
other armored vehicles. Kosovo has boosted its armed forces with drones and
anti-tank missiles mostly from Turkey, which has angered Belgrade.
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