Albanian company Timak's prototype Shota protected patrol vehicle displayed at Eurosatory 2024. (Janes/Christopher Petrov)
Albanian vehicle maker Timak presented the first protected patrol vehicle (PPV) designed in the Balkan country at the Eurosatory 2024 defence exhibition held from 17 to 21 June in Paris.
The protected patrol vehicle, named Shota (from an Albanian historical term for a female warrior), marks the first known attempt by Albania to produce its own PPV. Senior sales manager at Timak, Manjola Kasneci, said that the company, which specialises in outfitting vehicles for civilians and emergency service use, has leveraged its previous vehicle modification experience to produce the PPV, based on the civilian Ford F-550. The Shota inherits the F-550's automotive components, said Kasneci.
The Shota presented at Eurosatory 2024 is still in the prototype stage. The vehicle currently has an 8+2 configuration, with eight dismounts seated in the rear, and a driver and passenger in the front cab. Kasneci said that wherever possible, parts and materials have been sourced locally in Albania, which includes the material used to protect the vehicle's main body and its ballistic glass.
Timak wants to offer the Shota to potential domestic and foreign customers. Kasneci said that there is domestic interest in Albania, but did not specify if it came from the army, police, or elsewhere.
For more information on the developments in high mobility vehicles, please seeEurosatory 2024: Supacat to develop new versions of HMT platform .
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