EXPLODEplus Project

Remnants of war, ageing, and overstocked ammunition stockpiles are constant safety and security threat to the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, including the potential loss of life and damage to the infrastructure.

The latest data illustrates that the Ministry of Defence/Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (MoD/AF BiH) is currently managing up to 12,000 tonnes of ammunition stockpiles in total, of which 4,500 tonnes are considered surplus. Within this surplus, 2/3 of the ammunition should be designated for disposal due to its condition and inability to overhaul and store them further. 

By fulfilling the stockpile reduction planned in 2022, it is expected that the total quantity of ammunition stockpile of MoD/AF BiH will drop below 10,000, thus enabling a sustained stockpile management system within MoD/AF BiH.

EXPLODE+ Project

a specialised case-by-case support action to the MoD/AF BiH in the disposal of highly hazardous, complex systems ammunition deemed unsafe for future storage or prone to the proliferation of non-prospective items.

 

The support is carried out through industrial demilitarisation solutions. The project was initiated in 2015 as a complementary and more flexible multi-donor project portfolio to support the ongoing EXPLODE Project and the overall implementation of the Ammunition, Weapons and Explosives (AWE) Master Plan. The AWE Master Plan is an MoD BiH-owned and EUFOR-coordinated mechanism for the resource of operations management of all partners engaged in establishing sustainable ammunition and weapons stockpile management system of MoD/AF BiH, as well as overall risk reduction in the country.

EXPLODE + Project components:

Disposal of remnants of war - to improve safety and security in BiH and support defence and security reform processes in BiH, including democratic governance of security and defence sectors, thus enabling development opportunities within BiH.

Safety infrastructure upgrades - for improved conditions of ammunition and weapon storage facilities as a part of establishing a sustainable ammunition surveillance management system and as a prevention of UEMS.

Results

Since 2015, Project EXPLODE+ has been funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kingdom of Norway, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Western Balkans Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Control Roadmap Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), and the US State Department in amount of $ 7,540,175.80 in total. Over the years, these financial means aided in:

✔️ Disposal of over 1,426 tonnes of various types and calibres of unsafe ammunition and explosive ordnances;

✔️ Training of over 200 MoD/AF BiH personnel on contemporary military standards in the field of ammunition stockpile management, usage of ammunition disposal machinery at the technical workshop for ammunition overhaul and disposal in TROM, Doboj, firefighting and safety at work.

Infrastructure upgrades of:

✔️ Three facilities within TROM, Doboj;

✔️ Ten ammunition storage facilities at ASS Krupa Hadžići;

✔️ The guard and administration building at ASS Krupa Hadžići;

✔️ The replacement of 16 security doors on 16 ammunition storage facilities at ASS Kula Mrkonjić Grad;

✔️ Infrastructure upgrade of the administrative zone of ASS Kula Mrkonjić Grad.

Goals moving forward

  • Expeditious disposal of the remaining unstable and hazardous ammunition on a case-by-case principle to deal with the most complex ammunition items and systems that cannot be processed in AF BiH facilities.
  • Further improvement of the conditions of weapons and ammunition storage depots for support to sustained ammunition stockpile management system of MoD/AF BiH

Donors

The Federal Republic of Germany, Kingdom of Netherlands, Kingdom of Norway, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America and the Western Balkans Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Control Roadmap Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF)

Impact

START DATE

September 2012

END DATE

June 2023

STATUS

Completed

PROJECT OFFICE

Bosnia and Herzegovina

IMPLEMENTING PARTNER

SALW Coordination Board/MoS

DONORS

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

GOVERNMENT OF GERMANY

GOVERNMENT OF NETHERLANDS

GOVERNMENT OF NORWAY

GOVERNMENT OF SAUDI ARABIA

GOVERNMENT OF UNITED KINGDOM

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

MPTF-W. Balkans SALW Control

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

US Department of State

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS

$15,831,421

DELIVERY IN PREVIOUS YEARS

2013$875,203

2014$1,592,476

2015$2,425,611

2016$1,334,863

2017$446,944

2018$1,239,122

2019$1,525,816

2020$652,782

2021$936,326

2022$853,496

2023$355,153

Full Project information