“They will be ready for every occasion,” Rama said during a signing ceremony with representatives of Turkish defence company Baykar in Tirana, adding that he hoped the drones would never have to be used in a war.
He did not say when they would be delivered and whether Albania will seek to buy more of them.
Rama said the drones, which will be armed and ready for combat, will help authorities in a number of areas, including monitoring the Balkan country’s territory, locating cannabis plantations and tracking wildfires.
Some 30 people are expected to be trained to operate the drones.
Bayraktar TB2 drones continue to gain popularity globally after being used by Ukraine’s military to thwart Russian forces.
The number of countries to which the battle-proven drone Bayraktar TB2 has been exported has risen to 27, according to the firm, including NATO member Poland, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. The company has also signed deals with five countries for exports of its much larger sibling Akıncı.
Rama did not say how much the government paid for the drones, when they would be delivered and whether Albania will seek to buy more of them.
