North Macedonia Receives Turkish Boran Howitzers

North Macedonia has become the first European country to receive Turkish 105-mm towed howitzers BORAN.

The Turkish Ministry of National Defense reported that the delivery has already taken place.

“Congratulations to all those who contributed to this success, which is of great importance given that this is the first export of our howitzers to Europe,” the official statement said.

Under the contract signed on December 21, 2022, six units of 105-mm light towed howitzers were delivered to North Macedonia along with ammunition.

This delivery was another testament to Turkey’s technological level and export potential in the defense industry.

The BORAN howitzer has been in service with the Turkish army since 2021.

It has a caliber of 105 mm, a barrel length of 30 caliber and a total weight of 1,745 kg (including the fire control system).

The system is capable of firing at a range of up to 17 km and can be deployed in less than a minute.

The BORAN is considered the world’s lightest howitzer in its class and can be transported by helicopter, making it particularly suitable for mobile operations.

Thanks to the integrated fire control system with GPS navigation, BORAN provides high accuracy and efficiency in the field compared to traditional artillery systems.

For comparison, the common American L119 howitzer weighs 1,858 kg and has a standard range of 14 km and a maximum range of up to 19.5 km.

Earlier, Norway donated a significant batch of trucks and off-road vehicles to the North Macedonian military. Also last year, the US State Department approved the sale of an additional number of JLTV armored vehicles to North Macedonia.