Helicopter of the MoI of Sarajevo Canton Ready for Acceptance Inspection: Commission Arrives at Bell Facility

(Patria) - A commission of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) of Sarajevo Canton (KS) has arrived in the USA to conduct a preliminary acceptance inspection of the Bell 412 EPX helicopter, produced for this ministry.

The acceptance inspection will be carried out at Bell Textron Inc's facility in Piney Flats, Tennessee.

Bell Textron Inc, a company that proudly states it pushes the boundaries in the production of this type of aircraft, has existed for over 90 years and is one of the first in aviation history to build its success on bold ideas, engineering excellence, and trusted partnerships.

The first part of the helicopter's production took place in Canada, and the second in Tennessee, after which the manufacturer invited the MoI of KS to conduct an acceptance inspection of the aircraft, in accordance with the rules of the concluded contract.

The Minister of Interior of KS, Admir Katica, formed a commission composed of aviation experts who will conduct the acceptance inspection of the helicopter in the coming days.

The commission will verify the helicopter's configuration and determine whether the technical characteristics of the produced aircraft correspond to those prescribed by the specification and contract.

The delegation in the United States of America is led by Minister of Interior Admir Katica, and the commission that will conduct the acceptance inspection consists of:

‣ Asmir Kruhović - aviation expert.
- He worked as an Airworthiness Inspector at the Federal Directorate for Civil Aviation (FED CAD), and later at the state-level Directorate for Civil Aviation (BHDCA), and also served as the EASA national coordinator.
- He was engaged as an instructor at the Joint Aviation Authorities Training Organization (JAA TO), based in Amsterdam, as well as at the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), in the international cooperation department.
- Kruhović actively participates in two international projects (South Asian Regional Initiative, SARI) - for South Asian countries; and ETAP - EuroMed Transport Aviation Project - for Mediterranean countries of North Africa and the Middle East), as an external associate of EASA in the role of Airworthiness Expert.
- He worked in domestic airlines Air Bosnia, Flybosnia, Icar Air, and is currently employed as a quality manager at the domestic maintenance organization AvioBoss.

‣ Muharem Šabić, Doctor of Technical Sciences and full professor at the Faculty of Traffic and Communications in Sarajevo.
- He held the positions of technical director of BH Airlines, head of the Traffic Department at the Faculty of Traffic and Communications in Sarajevo, and deputy director of the Sector for Flight Safety and Aviation Security of the Directorate for Civil Aviation of BiH.
- He has published three university books, as well as numerous professional and research papers in relevant journals and conference proceedings in the fields of aviation and traffic.
- He established the aviation program at the Faculty of Traffic and Communications in Sarajevo.

‣ Omer Kulić, traffic engineer and retired pilot, who flew as a professional aviator from 1979 until 2017 and, according to his own words, landed at over 200 airports worldwide.
- He held the position of director of Air Bosnia, served as an advisor to the state Minister of Transport and Communications for air traffic, and was chairman of the Council of the Agency for the Provision of Air Navigation Services in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHANSA).
- Kulić, as an aviation expert, was also a member of the Commission for conducting the helicopter procurement procedure.
- At the same time, he is a mentor to pilots and aviation mechanics of the first helicopter unit of the MoI of KS, and coordinates and monitors their training at Flight Academy Montenegro in Podgorica.

The acceptance inspection, which will determine the aircraft's compliance with the buyer's requirements, the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton, will be carried out this week.

Before delivery to Sarajevo Canton, the helicopter will be distributed to a Bell service center in Europe where another final inspection will be performed.

Let us recall, the Bell 412 EPX helicopter represents the pinnacle of multi-mission helicopter technology and is the choice of all professional rescue services worldwide.

It has a long history of supporting critical missions around the world, including firefighting, law enforcement, and search and rescue operations, and therefore represents a modern and efficient solution for multiple missions.

The Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton concluded a contract for the procurement of a Bell 412 EPX helicopter with the company Shot d.o.o. from Zenica on June 4, 2024, with a delivery deadline of 24 months.

The contractual supplier - Shot d.o.o., led by director Vedran Ključanin, also organized the arrival of the expert commission and the inspection of the aircraft in the USA.

In the Southeast European region, the Bell 412, produced by Bell and Agusta-Bell, is used by the governments of Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Turkey.

In June 2025, Bell celebrated the signing of the first order for the Bell 412EPX helicopter in Africa, by the Tunisian Air Force for multi-mission military and security missions.

Previously, they also entered the Japan Coast Guard, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, the ranks of the Austrian air carrier Kitz-Air GmbH, and many others.