Kosovo Procures OMTAS Anti-Tank Missiles And PMT-76-57A Machine Guns From Turkey
The Kosovo portion of the multinational Defender Europe 2023 Exercise, directed by the US European Command, designed to build readiness and interoperability between the US, NATO allies and partner countries, officially kicked off on Sunday, 21 May, with a ceremony in the main square of the capital, Pristina. The ceremony was attended by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti, as well as ambassadors working in the nation and numerous guests.
During the ceremony, an exhibit displaying military equipment from the Kosovo Security Force (FSK) was also displayed. The Kosovo Security Force (FSK) display at the exhibition featured the Turkish missile manufacturer Roketsan’s OMTAS Medium Range Anti-Tank Missile Launcher and MKE’s PMT-76-57A Platform Machine Gun. As a result, it was revealed for the first time that the Kosovo Army was the first known foreign user of the Roketsan OMTAS Anti-Tank Missile and had purchased PMT-76-57A Platform Machine Guns from MKE.
There is no word on how many launchers and OMTAS missiles Kosovo has purchased from Roketsan. Similarly, no formal comment has been issued regarding the specifics of the contract with MKE. The PMT-76/57A, however, is expected to be employed in SARP and SARP-DUAL Remote-Controlled Weapons Systems (RCWS) integrated into FSK Cobra Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicles. The Kosovo Security Force currently has 14 known Otokar Cobra armored vehicles in its inventory.
OMTAS is a medium-range anti-tank weapon system designed by Roketsan that is effective against armored threats on the battlefield. The OMTAS Weapon System is comprised of the launch system (missile, launch platform, and fire control unit), transport crates, and a training simulator. OMTAS can be utilized on its own tripod platform, but it can also be integrated with ground platforms. The missile can function day and night and in any weather situations as it uses an infrared imaging seeker (IIR) head. OMTAS, which has a bidirectional RF data link with its IIR head, can use fire-and-forget or fire-and-update modes. The OMTAS anti-tank missile has a range of 4 kilometers and a diameter of 160 mm, a length of 1.8 meters, and a weight of approximately 35 kg.