The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina has approved several multi-year modernization projects for the Armed Forces of BiH, including the procurement of specialized vehicles, helicopters, ammunition and new field uniforms, at the proposal of the Ministry of Defense of BiH.
The Council has adopted a decision to approve the multi-year project “Modernization and Procurement of Weapons and Military Equipment of the Armed Forces of BiH – Procurement of Specialized Vehicles for Units within the Battalion-Level Light Infantry Group”. The project, estimated at around five million euros (10.035 million BAM), will be included in the Program of Multi-Year Capital Projects for the period from 2025 to 2030.
The project plans to procure 46 specialized vehicles that will replace the outdated M113 A2 armored personnel carriers, in use since the 1970s.
At the same time, the Council of Ministers adopted a decision to amend and supplement the decision on the multi-year project for the procurement of helicopters for the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of BiH. The project implementation period has been extended from the previously planned 2027 to 2032, and an additional 20 million BAM has been secured for its implementation.
The funds will be secured by restructuring the 2025 budget, reallocating from the budget item gross salaries and salary compensation to the project code for the procurement of helicopters. The reason for the extension of the deadline and additional funding was the need to preserve the operability of the Armed Forces of BiH, given the deterioration of existing aircraft and risks to the safety of personnel and material assets. The procurement of helicopters was assessed as strategically important and a zero priority for the operability of the Armed Forces of BiH.
The Council of Ministers also approved the multi-year project “Procurement of ammunition and mines and explosive devices to replenish the reserves of the Armed Forces of BiH”, with a total value of 10.035 million BAM, which will be implemented in the period from 2025 to 2030.
A multi-year project “Ensuring the Procurement of a New Field Uniform of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina” was also approved, with an estimated value of 8.6 million BAM. Funds for the implementation of the project will be provided from the budget in the amount of three million BAM in 2025, 3.6 million BAM in 2026, and one million BAM each in 2027 and 2028.
The unified Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina were established on 1 January 2006, following the reform of the defense system and the transfer of defense responsibilities from the entity to the state level, AA writes.
