| Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
|---|---|
| Serbo-Croatian:Oružane snage Bosne i Hercegovine,Оружане снаге Босне и Херцеговине | |
 Emblem of the Armed Forces | |
| Motto | Perspektiva ("Perspective") |
| Founded | 1 December 2004; 20 years ago (2004-12-01) |
| Service branches |  Ground Forces Air Force |
| Headquarters | Sarajevo |
| Website | os |
| Leadership | |
| Presidency | Denis Bećirović Željka Cvijanović Željko Komšić |
| Minister of Defence |  Zukan Helez |
| Chief of Joint Staff |  General Gojko Knežević |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18 years of age |
| Conscription | Abolished in 2006 |
| Active personnel | 12,769[1] |
| Reserve personnel | 6,000[1] |
| Deployed personnel | 64 |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | $220 million[2] |
| Percent of GDP | 0.20% (2023)[2] |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers | "Zrak" d.d. Sarajevo PD "Igman" Konjic Ginex d.d. Goražde "Orao" a.d. Bijeljina UNIS Promex Sarajevo BNT Travnik "Binas" d.d. Bugojno Fabrika specijalnih vozila TRZ Hadžići PS Vitezit d.o.o. |
| Foreign suppliers |  United States European Union United Kingdom Germany Italy Norway Croatia Turkey |
| Related articles | |
| History |  Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Army of Republika Srpska Croatian Defence Council |
| Ranks | Military ranks and insignia of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Bosnian Ground Forces | |
|---|---|
| Active | 2006–present |
| Country | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Branch | Army |
| Role | Ground defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Size | 7,300 |
| Garrison/HQ | Sarajevo |
| Motto | "Perspektiva"("Perspective")[3] |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Brigadir Emir Kliko Brigadir Zdravko Rezo Radovan Jović |
TheArmed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Serbo-Croatian:Oružane snage Bosne i Hercegovine,Оружане снаге Босне и Херцеговине; abbreviated asOSBiH,ОСБиХ) is the officialmilitary force ofBosnia and Herzegovina. The BiH armed forces were officially unified in 2005 and are composed of two foundingarmies: theBosniak andBosnian CroatArmy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (VFBiH) and theBosnian Serbs'Army of Republika Srpska (VRS).
TheMinistry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, founded in 2004, is in charge of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In accordance with theConstitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Article 5.5a), Bosnian Law of defense and Bosnian Law of service, the supreme civilian commander of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the collectivePresidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The collective Presidency directs theMinistry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Armed Forces. Former Bosnia and Herzegovina ministers of defence include Nikola Radovanović,Selmo Cikotić, Muhamed Ibrahimović, Zekerijah Osmić,Marina Pendeš andSifet Podžić. As of 2023[update], the minister isZukan Helez. FormerChiefs of Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina include Lieutenant colonel generalSifet Podžić, Lieutenant colonel general Miladin Milojčić, Lieutenant colonel general Anto Jeleč and Colonel general Senad Mašović. The current Chief of Joint Staff is General Gojko Knežević.Conscription was completely abolished in Bosnia and Herzegovina effective 1 January 2006.[4]
The Bosnia and Herzegovina Defence Law addresses the following areas: the Military of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Government Institutions, Entity Jurisdictions and Structure, Budget and Financing, Composition of Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, War Declaration, natural disasters, conflict of interests and professionalism, Oath to Bosnia-Herzegovina, flags, anthem and military insignia, and transitional and end orders.
The AFBiH was formed from three armies of theBosnian War period: the BosniakArmy of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Bosnian SerbArmy of Republika Srpska, and theCroat Defence Council.
The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was created on 15 April 1992 during the early days of theBosnian War. Before the ARBiH was formally created, there existedTerritorial Defence, an official military force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and severalparamilitary groups such as theGreen Berets,Patriotic League, andcivil defence groups, as well as many criminal gangs and collections of police and military professionals. The army was formed under poor circumstances, with a very low number oftanks,APCs and no military aviation assets. The army was divided into Corps, each Corps was stationed in a territory. The first commander wasSefer Halilović.
The Army of Republika Srpska was created on 12 May 1992. Before the VRS was formally created, there were severalparamilitary groups such as theSrpska dobrovoljačka garda,Beli Orlovi, as well as someRussian,Greek and other volunteers. The army was equipped with ex-JNA inventory. It had about 200 tanks, mostlyT-55s and 85M-84s, and 150 APCs with several heavy artillery pieces. The Air Defense of VRS shot down several aircraft, likeF-16,Mirage 2000,F-18 and oneCroatian Air ForceMiG-21. The VRS received support from theYugoslav Army andFR Yugoslavia.
TheCroatian Defence Council was the main military formation of theCroatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia during the Bosnian War. It was the first organized military force to control the Croat-populated areas, created on 8 April 1992. They ranged from men armed with shotguns assigned tovillage defence tasks to organized, uniformed, and well-equippedbrigade-sized formations that nevertheless employedpart-time soldiers. As time went on, the HVO forces became increasingly better organized and more "professional", but it was not until early 1994, that the HVO began to formguards brigades, mobile units manned by full-time professional soldiers.
In 1995–96, aNATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops served in Bosnia and Herzegovina, beginning on December 21, 1995, to implement and monitor the military aspects of theDayton Peace Agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force orSFOR. The number of SFOR troops was reduced first to 12,000 and then to 7,000. SFOR was in turn succeeded by an even smaller,European Union-led European Union Force,EUFOR Althea. As of 2004[update], EUFOR Althea numbered around 7,000 troops.
The program to train and equip the Bosnian Federation Army after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995 was a key element of the U.S. strategy to bring stable peace to Bosnia. The Train and Equip Program also calmed the concerns of some Congressmen about committing U.S. troops to peacekeeping duty in Bosnia. Creating a stable and functioning Federation Army that could deter Serb aggression had the prospect of allowing NATO and U.S. troops to withdraw from Bosnia within the original 12-month mandate, which the administration assured Congress was all it would take to stabilize the country.[5]
| Country | Funds | Equipment |
|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | $15 million | $120 million worth of equipment • 36 pieces ofM101 howitzer • 50AMX-30 tanks and 31AML-90 armored vehicles • 8 transport vehicles |
| United States | $109 million worth of equipment and services • 45M60A3 tanks, 80M113-A2 armored personnel carriers, 240 heavy trucks • 15UH-1H helicopters • 116 155mm field howitzers and 840AT4 light antitank weapons • 1,000M60 machine guns and 46,100M16 rifles • JANUS and BBS Command and Staff simulation software • 2,342 radios, 4,100 tactical telephones, binoculars | |
| Saudi Arabia | $50 million | |
| Kuwait | $50 million | |
| Brunei | $27 million | |
| Qatar | $13 million worth of equipment • 25 armored personnel carriers | |
| Malaysia | $10 million | |
| Egypt | $3.8 million worth of equipment • 16 130mm field guns • 12 122mm howitzers and 18 23mm antiaircraft guns | |
| Turkey | $2 million worth of equipment • 10 T-55 tanks | |
| Total Value: $399.8 million | ||
The program conducted an “international program review” in April 1998 to demonstrate to U.S. partners that it had been well managed and successful and to solicit additional contributions. The event was attended by 20 current and potential donor countries and an air of satisfaction prevailed.[5]
The Dayton Peace Agreement left the country with three armies under two commands: the Bosniak and Bosnian Croat armies within theFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, facing their recent adversaries theArmy of the Republika Srpska. These three forces together had around 419,000 personnel in regulars and reserves.[6] This force size and orientation was totally at odds with the international peacemakers' vision. Slow reductions did take place. By 2004, the two warring factions had reduced their forces to 12,000 regulars and 240,000 reserves but had made virtually no progress in integrating the two into one new force, though the basis of a state defence ministry had been put in place via theStanding Committee on Military Matters (SCMM). Conscription for periods of around four months continued, the costs of which were weighing down both entities.
The restructuring of the three armies into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina represents part of a wider process of 'thickening' the central state institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[7] To mitigate some of the potential controversy around restructuring, theOffice of the High Representative (OHR) made use of evidence of malpractice in Republika Srpska military institutions. Firstly, from 2002 onwards, OHR utilised a scandal around the provision of parts and assistance to Iraq in breach of a UN embargo (the so-called Orao affair) to support the cause for bringing governance of the armies under the level of central institutions.[8] Following this, in 2004, the process was accelerated,[9] drawing its justification from new evidence of material and other forms of support flowing from Republika Srpska armed forces toICTY indicteeRatko Mladić. OHR condemned the ‘systematic connivance of high-ranking members of the RS military’ and noted that measures to tackle such systematic deficiencies were under consideration.[10] This was quickly followed by the expansion of the mandate for a Defence Reform Commission, which ultimately resulted in the consolidation of three armed forces into one, governed at the level of the central state.[11]
As the joint AFBiH began to develop, troops began to be sent abroad. Bosnia and Herzegovina deployed a unit of 37 men to destroy munitions and clear mines, in addition to 6 command personnel as part of theMultinational force in Iraq. The unit was first deployed toFallujah, thenTalil Air Base, and is now located atCamp Echo.[citation needed] In December 2006, the Bosnian government formally extended its mandate through June 2007. Bosnia and Herzegovina planned to send another 49 soldiers from the 6th Infantry Division to Iraq in August 2008, their mission being to protect/guardCamp Victory inBaghdad.[needs update]
The Military units are commanded by theArmed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina Joint Staff in Sarajevo. There are two major commands under the Joint Staff: Operational Command and Support Command.
There are three regiments that are each formed by soldiers from the three ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs and trace their roots to the armies that were created during the war in BiH. These regiments have their distinct ethnic insignias and consist of three active battalions each. Headquarters ofregiments have no operational authority. On the basis of the Law on Service in the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the regimental headquarters have the following tasks: to manage the regimental museum, monitor financial fund, prepare, investigate and cherish the history of the regiment, the regiment publish newsletters, maintain cultural and historical heritage, give guidance on holding special ceremonies, give guidance on customs, dress and deportment Regiment, conduct officer, NCO and military clubs. Each regiments' three battalions are divided evenly between the three active brigades of the Army.
| Name | Headquarters | Information | Chief |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operational Command[12] | Sarajevo | The main command center of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. | Gojko Knežević |
4th Infantry Brigade
5th Infantry Brigade
6th Infantry Brigade
Overall the brigades are multinational with 45.9% Bosniaks, 33.6% Serbs, 19.8% Croats and about 0.7% of other ethnic groups (as for 2016).[13]
1st Helicopter Squadron, at Banja Luka Airport
2nd Helicopter Squadron, atSarajevo Airport| Name | Headquarters | Information |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel Command | Banja Luka |
|
| Logistics Command | Travnik Doboj |
|
Within the armed forces, there are a number of services. These include a Technical Service, Air Technology service, Military Police service, Communications service, Sanitary service, a Veterans service, Civilian service, Financial service, Information service, Legal service, Religious service, and a Musical service.
Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina were unified in 2005 and at that time they needed a uniform for the newly founded Armed Forces.MARPAT was designated as the future camouflage pattern to be used on combat uniforms of the AFBiH.
Insignia is found on military hats or berets, on the right and left shoulder on the uniform of all soldiers of the Armed Forces. All, except for generals, wear badges on their hats or berets with either the land force badge or air force badge. Generals wear badges with the coat of arms of Bosnia surrounded with branches and two swords. All soldiers of the armed forces have on their right shoulder a flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina. All members of the three regiments wear their regiment insignia on the left shoulder. There are other insignias, brigades or other institution are worn under the regiment insignia. The name of the soldiers is worn on the left part of the chest while the name "Armed Forces of BiH" is worn on the right part of the chest.
In 2023, members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina began to wear a new field uniform of high-quality cloth and original camouflage schemes with the characteristics of the Bosnian environment.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain:Lamb, Christopher J. (March 2014). Arkin, Sarah; Scudder, Sally (eds.).The Bosnian Train and Equip Program: A Lesson in Interagency Integration of Hard and Soft Power(PDF). Washington, D.C., USA.: National Defense University Press Washington, D.C.Archived(PDF) from the original on 2015-09-05.
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