Serbian Armed Forces Today is Stronger for a Nora Battery
Friday, 29.3.2019 | News
Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin and Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Milan Mojsilović, with associates, have attended today training, handling, use and basic maintenance of the 155 mm NORA-B52 M15 self-propelled gun howitzer in the area of the Pasuljanske livade training ground.
– As of today, the Serbian Armed Forces is richer, more powerful and stronger for a NORA battery. This is for the first time that we have not only tried NORAs, but they were guided and used by the crews of the Serbian Armed Forces, as well. Our people are trained and fully prepared to use this most modern complex combat system – Minister Vulin pointed out.
According to him, the Serbian Armed Forces will continue to acquire equipment, to strengthen, and there will be more NORAs provided for the use in our Armed Forces.
– Our glorious artillery shold be proud of the new complex combat system. As the Supreme Commander of our Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić ordered, the Serbian Armed Forces will be equipped with state-of-the-art weapons, primarily the weapons produced by our defence industry and designed by our brains. What we produce ourselves and what we learn ourselves is really ours and nobody can take it away from us – Minister Vulin said.
Chief of General Staff, General Mojsilović, expressed his satisfaction that today he was able to attend the final training in the use and handling of a new modern weapon.
– In this way, the quality of execution is achieved, not only in raising the level of operational capabilities of the unit, but also the entire Mixed Artillery and Missile Brigade. This is just one of the segments after the introduction of NORA B52 into arms and equipment of the Serbian Armed Forces and one or the first steps when we talk about its use – General Mojsilović said.
He stressed that today he was able to see himself that the fire-power of the unit in the use and handling of new assets is at the top level, adding that requests for further equipment must follow the continuity and requirements of the Serbian Armed Forces.
According to words of the acting Assistant Defence Minister for Material Resources Nenad Miloradović, PhD, the NORA project is a proof of the capability of our military industrial complex, inventiveness and capabilities of our military engineers. The precursor to this system was made in MTI as early as in 1986, based on one of the then revolutionary ideas that the long-range gun howitzer was placed on the chassis of an off-road vehicle, and among the managers of that project there were Anastas Paligorić and Novak Mitrović.
– Even after them, at least two generations of outstanding engineers worked on this project and this is what makes NORA as we see it today – one of the best-selling high-tech products of our defence industry. And that is also evidence of the benefits that the Serbian Armed Forces have of our industry. This is already the 5th generation of NORA in which all new knowledge and all new technologies have been implemented and which has been successfully shown on three continents for many years – Assistant Minister Miloradović emphasized, adding that this is one of the priorities for equipping Serbian Armed Forces in the upcoming period.
NORA 155mm B52 self-propelled gun howitzer is is a self-propelled artillery piece intended for the general fire support of its own units. Fire support is achieved by a strong, sudden and fast fire at long distance targets of tactical, operational and strategic importance.
Today's visit was attended by Lieutenant General Milosav Simović, Army Commander, Major General Mladen Vuruna, Head of the Department for Defence Technologies, Major General Želimir Glišović, Chief of the Operations Department of the General Staff, Colonel Milan Popović, Chief of the Directorate for Planning and Development of the General Staff, and Colonel Novica Petrović, Commander of Mixed Artillery Brigade.
