BNT Director Disputes Revocation of Drone License, Says Operations Continue
BNT-TMiH director Besim Belegic says the company has not formally received a decision revoking its drone production license and insists operations will continue, as Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ministry of Foreign Trade cites multiple alleged legal and technical irregularities.
The director of BNT Novi Travnik (BNT-TMiH), Besim Belegic, has responded to reports that the company’s license for the production of military drones has been revoked, stating that the firm has not formally received any official decision and that its operations are continuing.
Belegic said that, as of now, BNT-TMiH has not been served with a formal ruling on the withdrawal of its drone production license and therefore cannot comment on the substance of the decision. He stressed that the company maintains it has acted in compliance with applicable legislation and instructions issued by competent authorities.
“We assert that the company strictly adheres to all relevant legal regulations governing this field, as well as to the guidance of the competent services. BNT-TMiH has had very good cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, and we believe the current situation will be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties,” Belegic said.
According to him, BNT-TMiH will continue its regular activities aimed at strengthening the company, hiring additional employees, and increasing production volumes. He added that the company expects significantly higher revenues in 2026 compared to 2025, alongside an expansion of its workforce.
Ministry cites multiple irregularities
Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced that Minister Stasa Kosarac had issued a decision revoking BNT-TMiH’s license to produce military drones, citing violations of the Law on the Production of Arms and Military Equipment.
According to the ministry’s statement, inspectors carried out both regular and extraordinary inspections at the company, during which they identified numerous irregularities related to drone production. The findings indicate that the actual quantities produced, as well as the technical and operational characteristics of the drones, did not correspond to the data submitted by BNT-TMiH in its application for approval to manufacture a prototype.
The ministry further stated that significant changes had allegedly been made to the technical and operational characteristics of the drones without prior notification to the ministry, as required by law. Inspectors also concluded that drone production continued after the expiry of the approval period, without a valid legal basis.
In addition, the ministry cited irregularities concerning subcontracting agreements, which were not presented to inspection authorities nor submitted to the ministry within the legally prescribed timeframe.
Based on these findings, the ministry announced that misdemeanor proceedings will be initiated against BNT-TMiH and the responsible individuals within the company, with a proposal for the imposition of maximum financial penalties.
While the ministry maintains that the revocation decision has been issued in line with existing legislation, BNT-TMiH’s management insists that no formal ruling has yet been delivered and that the company will continue its activities pending clarification of the legal status of the case.
