On Friday, December 13, 2019, the Minister of Defense of
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Marina Pendes, in Sarajevo, signed a contract for the
purchase of four US-made Bell Huey II helicopters for the needs of the Armed
Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The UH-1H-II helicopter has been modernized, upgraded and
maintained for a cheaper variant of the UH-1H Iroquois general purpose
helicopter (also known as "Huey"), which is in the inventory of the
Air Force and Air Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
With this acquisition, the Brigade will be able to continue and better perform
its mission of air transportation, medical evacuation, firefighting, search and
rescue, as well as other tasks in completing the main missions of the Armed
Forces.
The signing ceremony was held at the Armed Forces of Bosnia
and Herzegovina House in Sarajevo in the presence of top Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Bosnia and Herzegovina
officials, the United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and NATO
Headquarters in Sarajevo
"The procurement of these helicopters represents the
largest investment project since the establishment of the Armed Forces of Bosnia
and Herzegovina, both in terms of the amount of funding and the impact it will
have on the operational capabilities and capabilities of the Armed Forces of
Bosnia and Herzegovina," Defense Minister Marina Pendes said on the
occasion. "This will give us more opportunities to be a solid support to
all the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to contribute to regional cooperation
projects and ultimately to strengthen our position as a reliable partner in
international relations."
"The implementation of this project will provide Bosnia
and Herzegovina Air Force units with an
adequate number of flight hours. In doing so, they will raise their training to
a higher level and create a predisposition to fulfill their tasks even better
and more readily in accordance with the Law on Defense of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, "said Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lieutenant General
Senad Masovic.
As he pointed out, "in the process of rejuvenation of
the pilot and aeronautical and technical personnel it will be easier to receive
and adapt new members of the Air Force and air defense of the Armed Forces of Bosnia
and Herzegovina, and to ensure the replacement of the generations that awaits
us in the coming period."
"This initiative is a joint project of the United
States of America and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Armed Forces of Bosnia and
Herzegovina is a success story worth investing in. They are an example of what
the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina can achieve when they are together with a
view to the future. They are proof that every fening invested in the Armed
Forces is repeatedly paid and returned for the future of the people of Bosnia
and Herzegovina, "said US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Eric
Nelson.
The procurement of new aircraft was contracted with the
great support of the US Government on the principle of "Total Package
Approach", which for the said sum implies complete transfer of
capabilities and ensures: delivery of four Bell Huey II helicopters; retraining
pilots and technicians at Bell Helicopter Textron Inc Training Centers,
delivering spare parts and supplies for two years and 300 flight hours per
year; delivery of helicopter maintenance tools and test equipment for maintenance
level I and II; delivery of ground equipment for helicopter service and
delivery of technical documentation for aeronautical maintenance level I and
II.
Source: Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina
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