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Bosnia and Herzegovina is proceeding with the acquisition of Leonardo AW119 single-engine helicopters for the country’s military.
More details of the planned purchase of six AW119Kx helicopters emerged after the Balkan’s state’s Minister for Defense Zukan Helez took a test flight on one of the helicopters during a visit to the U.S. on April 15.
The AW119 is produced by Leonardo Helicopters at its Philadelphia facility.
“For the first time in our history, we are procuring brand-new helicopters,” Helez said a press release. “This is the largest investment in the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina so far and a clear indicator of our determination to build a strong, modern and ready armed forces.”
In addition to the six helicopters, the contract will include training of pilots, 12 of whom will be trained in Philadelphia, including three instructors. Flight simulators, spare parts, and maintenance and support equipment are also part of the package.
The helicopters are being acquired through a $100 million U.S. Foreign Military Sales process that was approved by the State Department in May 2025. Timelines for delivery have not been disclosed.
Bosnia and Herzegovina currently operates a fleet of secondhand Aerospatiale Gazelles and Bell UH-1H Iroquois helicopters, as well as Baykar Bayraktar TB2 uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), the Aviation Week Fleet Discovery database says.
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