“Technical Overhaul Bratunac” (TRB) will deliver the first 2 modernly equipped “Vihor” combat vehicles to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the end of January, said the majority owner of the company, Slavenko Ristic.
He pointed out that the plan if the Arabs confirm the specifications of these combat vehicles, is to deliver several hundred “Vihor” vehicles to them in the next four years.
The combat vehicle “Vihor” is a light tactical vehicle, the market price of which, depending on the equipment, is around 500.000 euros, and it is not built on a commercial platform.
“Our production capacity is 50 vehicles per year, so our production would be full in the next four years. The UAE Armed Forces is serious and we are happy that they have decided to buy our vehicles. It is a phenomenal reference, first of all, for TRB,” Ristic stated and emphasized that it is not the same to sell a vehicle to Africa or the UAE, because they can afford the best of the best.
These vehicles were in the test phase for almost a year in the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republika Srpska (RS), where they passed all the tests.
“Vihor” was presented in Belgrade at the Weapons and Military Equipment Fair “Partner 2023” at the end of September, after which it was also offered on the international scene.
Due to the situation in the world and increased demand, the arms industry is expanding, and TRB is overwhelmed with orders from all over the world, said Ristic.
By the end of the year, TRB will also offer a new gun called “Sejtan” (Shaytan), Ristic pointed out and added that several more projects are being implemented, which he did not want to reveal yet.
“The Middle East, South and North Africa are our main markets, and lately we have also received a lot of inquiries from South America and Colombia. We are currently concentrating on certain projects, namely the production of lighters, combat vehicles, ammunition production lines, and demining machines. These are some of the things that were our priority because they are in demand on the market,” Ristic pointed out.
Although they have cooperated with Israel for years, they do not export weapons to that country, nor have they sold any of their products to Ukraine, Ristic emphasized.
“We simply intend to stay on the sidelines, we don’t want to add fuel to the fire. We stick to our markets and zones that are not in conflict. That is quite enough for our company to operate and achieve enviable results,” Ristic added.
TRB is preparing for the Fair in Egypt, which will be held at the beginning of December, while next year they are going to Abu Dhabi, and they are also planning to go to Indonesia.
“Every fair is an investment in itself, which is why we only go to the best ones. Our goal now is to use the capital that the company has to invest in new products and additional equipment,” he said.
The company TRB was founded in 1953, and now it has 1.000 employees, while 11 years ago there were only 80 workers. Slaven Ristic says that after taking over this company, i.e. in 2012, the company was in a big crisis and that in the past period, they managed to return more than 20 million BAM of debts, as well as to invest almost 60 million BAM.
“We will try to justify the trust of all the people who believe in what we do in the future,” said Ristic and added that last year this company employed 50 women and that they introduced the practice of giving extra pay to every woman who gives birth, Biznis Info reports.
E.Dz.
