With the distribution of capacities of military industry in the former Yugoslavia, BiH was mostly skirted when it comes to construction of factories for the production of infantry weapons such as rifles and guns. Instead, ammunition and howitzers were produced in BiH and several enterprises preserve the tradition of that sector and operate to this day, although with significant challenges and issues. Recognizing the strategic importance of military industry, the Government of FBiH is seriously considering the launching of production of infantry armament for supplying both the BiH armed forces and clients abroad.
This information was confirmed by Amra Đendušić, advisor to the Prime Minister of FBiH Fadil Novalić. Đendušić pointed out that production of a domestic rifle would probably be done with a foreign strategic partner, in cooperation with BiH engineers who are perfectly capable of implementing that task.
“We can also buy someone’s license, it is not a problem either. The moment has come that we restructure the factories in military industry, bring strategic investors and create plans for development. One of those plans is the production of infantry armament because we need it for several reasons. First reason is the strategic one; every country in the world must have its own production of infantry weapons. The second reason, of course, is to export those goods and hire additional workers through the development of this industry,” Đendušić explained.
Đendušić said that it is necessary to ensure an economically cost-effective and simple design in order to provide production materials, as well as for the possibility of selling conveniently on commercial markets.
However, the production of infantry armament is not a simple task and the FBiH Government is well aware of that. Production complexes for those purposes would be huge and national companies would have to expand, with the help of foreign partners. On the other side, few or no investments at all have been made in military industry in the past 20 years. Đendušić highlights that everyone who follows the military industry fairs sees that modern military technology is developing very rapidly. Third challenge is the aged staff in these enterprises.
“The scope of investment that would enable the launching of production of infantry armament is between 100 and 200 million EUR, depending on plans and aims of the production. However, we must pay attention to the regeneration of human resources, education and bringing young people who will love that job and do it properly. Young people are not interested much so far, but they need to be directed and educated. Our development of technology stopped with the nineties,” Đendušić concluded.
According to the Secretary General of the Center for Security Studies Denis Hadžović, a great obstacle for the development of national military industry is the fact that BiH is not a member of NATO.
“NATO members are the largest buyers of weapons, and BiH cannot supply them with armament. The second problem is that the national police forces in entities do not have harmonized standards of calibers and types of weapons they use and which the national military industry could supply,” Hadžović specified.
According to Hadžović, BiH still has excess weapons, but with proper planning by the Armed Forces of BiH, the needs of BiH army could be significantly met with the national industry.
“It is very economically justified that the national military industry makes products that will be primarily used in BiH. That is a good idea to employ national capacities and use domestic products, and at the same time to prepare for competitive export to foreign markets,” Hadžović added.
(Source: faktor.ba/ photo krupljani.ba)
