Nufi: assembly of armored vehicles has begun, six commercial deals through KAYO

Defense Minister Ermal Nufi said Albania is building its own military industry with the aim of production capacity that meets NATO standards. He spoke on the “Hard Talk” program of the “Radar” platform with journalist Albatros Rexhaj, according to ATSH.

“We have six commercial partnerships through the KAYO company,” Nufi said, referring to the state-owned defense industry company. He noted that laws 87 and 88 have entered into force, one on the military industry and the other on KAYO, after the first steps toward the legal and industrial infrastructure in 2024.

Armored vehicles being assembled, ammunition not yet

According to the minister, assembly of armored vehicles has begun in Albania. Ammunition production has not started, but the relevant lines were ordered during 2025. Nufi stressed that equipment must be usable alongside allies: “Without this, no production makes sense.”

He argued that domestic capacity would cut delays in supplies and repairs, noting that NATO procedures for replacing materiel sent to Ukraine take 18 to 20 months, compared with 3 to 4 months for the Eastern bloc.

Kosovo and alliances

On Kosovo, Nufi said it is a consolidated republic with international recognition, backed by the United States and Europe, and called the recent dispatch of an Albanian helicopter to the KFOR mission “a concrete gesture.” He added that the U.S. remains NATO’s main ally and that “national security must be bipartisan,” stressing that the issue should unite all political forces.