The draft law on the Budget of BiH institutions and international obligations of BiH for the year 2026 foresees an increase in the budget of the Ministry of Defense of BiH by 43 million KM. However, even this increase will not meet all demands and needs in the long run.
The budget of the BiH Council of Ministers, which still needs to be “ironed” with numerous amendments, although it was adopted in the middle of the year, promises an increase of 43 million KM for the Ministry of Defense of BiH.
The shift from the long-time fixed 300 million KM defense budget will be felt to the extent that defense planning ensures maximum execution of the budget, but it will largely depend on the announced increase in the coefficients of civil servants, of which the Ministry of Defense of BiH has 9,200.
According to the table of the Stockholm Institute for Peace Research, Bosnia and Herzegovina allocated 0.7 percent for defense in 2025, and the projections are that with an increase, that percentage should rise to 0.8 percent.
It goes without saying that these investments are far below the acceptable norm when we talk about meeting the goals that NATO has set for its members, and therefore also for aspirants.
As part of the budget of the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 48 million KM will be allocated for the purchase of: six AW-119Kx helicopters, the purchase of additional Kirpi II MRAP vehicles, the purchase of ammunition and mine-explosive devices and the purchase of field uniforms.
The acquisition of six new helicopters from the USA in a strategic sense represents one of the most significant projects since the formation of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as it ensures the continuity and maintenance of aerial operational capabilities.
On the other hand, the purchase of armored vehicles from Turkey represents the purchase of MRAP vehicles of the latest generation with capabilities that the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina have not had before. More broadly, according to the Plan for the Modernization of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the procurement of 46 armored vehicles is planned for the period from 2025 to 2030. These vehicles are supposed to replace donated US M113 armored personnel carriers.
A third of the state budget is not enough
Emphasizing the resources of the equipment available to the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina inevitably accelerates procurement, which through the existing political and legal system almost as a rule goes “through the eye of a needle”.
The long-standing blockade, calls to reduce even the reduced combat composition, proposals for demilitarization, blockades of VAT payments for donated equipment, are just some of the aggravating circumstances.
Without Turkey’s responsiveness in understanding all political challenges and the impossibility of the Council of Ministers, all the donations that have been agreed, which will soon be joined by two Bayraktar TB2 drones, would be impossible.
Additional pressure is also created by the announcements of the Minister of Defense Zukan Helez, who often change their arrangement and pace of delivery because they do not maintain realistic political possibilities. Thus, the arrival of six unmanned aerial vehicles (two TB-2 and four Bayraktar Mini UAV-C) was announced for the beginning of the year, and was later extended to the end of May.
In addition to the mentioned projects and despite the announced increase in the budget, even a third of the state budget for the Ministry of Defense of BiH will not be enough. Pursuant to the adopted Modernization Plan
of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is necessary to provide additional funds for procurement with each subsequent budget that will not be spent on operational and current costs.
According to the Medium-term work plan of the institutions adopted by the Ministry of Defense of BiH for the period 2026-2028, it is necessary to allocate 345 million KM for modernization projects. Klix.
