U.S. Approves $75M Sale of Javelin Missiles to Kosovo Amid Regional Tensions

The United States State Department has granted approval for a potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Republic of Kosovo, involving Javelin Missiles and associated equipment with an estimated value of $75 million.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) officially informed Congress about this potential sale today.

Kosovo has formally requested the acquisition of 246 Javelin FGM-148F missiles, including 6 fly-to-buy missiles, along with 24 Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LWCLU), and related support and equipment.

The prime contractors for this transaction will be the Javelin Joint Venture, a collaboration between Lockheed Martin in Orlando, FL, and Raytheon Missiles and Defense in Tucson, AZ.

The neighboring nation of Serbia has expressed opposition to the decision. U.S. Ambassador to Serbia, Christopher Hill, confirmed the acceptance of Kosovo's request for the purchase of Javelin anti-tank missiles despite the objections raised by Serbia. Ambassador Hill stated that the request will now undergo the official congressional procedure for approval.

Following the announcement, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed "great disappointment" over the decision but emphasized the importance of maintaining peace in the region. Vucic stated that Serbia, in cooperation with the United States, will strive to preserve strong Serbian-American relations.

The longstanding tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, rooted in Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008, remain a complex diplomatic challenge. The European Union has been mediating talks since 2013 to normalize relations, but progress has been slow, with nationalist sentiments hindering breakthroughs on both sides.

Kosovo, not recognized as a state by several NATO members, including Romania, Spain, Greece, and Slovakia, has set membership in the NATO military alliance as a policy goal. However, it has been cautioned by the United States and other countries to implement a peace deal with Serbia for progress.

The U.S. has consistently supported the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) established in 2009. NATO maintains its own peacekeeping force in Kosovo, KFOR, which has been present since June 1999.