The Bosnian and Herzegovinian (BiH) defense industry is entering a new era – the company BNT TMiH from Novi Travnik, known for top-quality defense production, is officially expanding its range to include unmanned aerial vehicles – single-use and reusable drones with cargo-carrying mechanisms, developed exclusively with domestic knowledge and resources.
The Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH (FBiH), Nermin Niksic, attended the presentation and, on that occasion, stated that a few months ago, he announced completely new products in the defense industry, and today, with pride and joy, we are witnessing the fulfillment of that promise.
“This is exclusively a domestic product, the result of domestic ingenuity – of our young and successful people, and it is very important to emphasize that all components were produced in BiH. On every drone package, there is a sentence I am especially proud of: A revolution in defense through modern technologies. These drones were not made to threaten anyone or to commit aggression against anyone, but to contribute to the security and defense of BiH,” said Niksic.
He added that what he saw looks impressive and that we have certainly obtained a product that will be interesting for the world market as well.
“In addition, new jobs are being created. I express enormous gratitude to everyone involved in this process, which we started a year and a half ago, but we did not want to start production until we had secured all the necessary approvals. Congratulations to director Besim Belegic and minister Lakic, who, together with their associates, worked on the realization of this activity,” said Niksic.
The Federal Minister of Energy, Mining, and Industry of the FBiH, Vedran Lakic, emphasized the strategic importance of the project, stating that this is a great moment for BiH and our defense industry.
“We have shown that domestic ingenuity and domestic industry can produce an unmanned aerial vehicle, one of the most sought-after products in the modern defense industry. The project, which began as an idea in the Ministry 18 months ago, has today seen the light of day. The leadership of director Besim Belegic and his dedication to work determined us to entrust the development and implementation of the entire project precisely to BNT TMiH Novi Travnik. This is a historic achievement and the result of intensive work over the past year and a half. Throughout the entire process, from the very beginning, the support of Prime Minister Niksic was crucial for us to be able to witness today a new era of the defense industry,” emphasized Lakic.
With this step, BNT TMiH confirms its position as a bearer of technological innovation and national security, while BiH enters among the countries capable of developing and producing advanced unmanned systems.
“What we have today is the result of the continuous work of the Government of the FBiH led by Prime Minister Niksic, the competent minister Lakic, and BNT TMiH. Once again, we have shown that through joint work we can accomplish a great deal,” said BNT TMiH director Besim Belegic, as stated after the visit.
Belegic added that after they studied the market, they obtained the necessary permits and began the development and production of the prototype of the first BiH drone of this kind.
“This will enable, among other things, the employment of at least 50 new workers, as well as an increase in revenue in our company,” concluded Belegic.
