Acquisition of Nora B-52 howitzer to give Azerbaijan upper hand

Azerbaijan continues to enhance its military strength by adding new weapons to its arsenal. The last of such is Nora B-52, a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Serbia. It is worth noting the 44-day war increased interest in artillery among Azerbaijanis because over 70 percent of Armenian equipment was destroyed by artillery according to the information. However, the Ukrainian War increased this interest further, since Russia withdrew from several positions after Ukraine got a French-made Caesar howitzer with a 55 km firing range. The Ukrainian side promoted a French-made howitzer.

As for Azerbaijan Army, it has different kinds of howitzers with different fire ranges and Azerbaijan used these howitzers actively in the 44-day War in 2020. The acquisition of Nora with over 60 km firing range has satisfied many in Azerbaijan because it is much better than a French-made howitzer. Nora b-52 gives Azerbaijan the upper hand among the region countries in terms of firing range and mobility.

Speaking to Azernews on the issue, the military expert Ramil Mammadli noted that in any war there are a number of weapons that are extremely important and still necessary to use even at the height of modern technology. One of such weapons is artillery systems. He pointed out that the rapidity of war and movement makes the self-propelled artillery systems more important. In this regard, the Azerbaijani army has included in the arsenal of its armed forces the remaining howitzers from the former USSR, as well as self-propelled artillery systems purchased from Russia, the Czech Republic, and Israel.

“We used these weapons in the Patriotic War of 2020. The point is that howitzers are flexible, that is, they do not cause difficulty in changing places, and 2nd, howitzers play a necessary role at close range, i.e., at a distance of 20-40 km, to destroy the enemy's defense line and the enemy's assembly line. From this point of view, the use of howitzers in the war in Ukraine today is very high, and this is related to the ready requirements of the war,” the pundit said.

He added that the caliber of self-propelled artillery Nora purchased by Azerbaijan from Serbia is 155 mm. Among the 155 mm self-propelled artillery systems of the Azerbaijani army is the Atmos howitzer, which we bought only from Israel. Other artillery systems have 122mm and 152 mm calibers, which were developed based on Soviet and Russian standards. Of course, the Azerbaijani army has set itself the goal of strengthening its arsenal with the modern technologies of the world.

“The main reason for the acquisition of Nora self-propelled artillery systems is to destroy the position of the enemy located far away contact line during military operations. I would like to note that Russia also prefers 155 mm caliber shells. As I know, the Russian defense industry complexes are already preferring the production of 152mm and 155 mm shells instead of 122mm. This factor shows that Azerbaijan is on the right track,” Ramil Mammadli noted.

As for the question, of which other artillery system Azerbaijan needs to acquire to strengthen its military power further, the military expert responded that it is very difficult to express a specific opinion on this issue. The point is that yes, as in all armies, howitzers and other self-propelled artillery devices, as well as traditional artillery systems, are needed in the Azerbaijani army, and they were acquired in certain periods.

“One of the world's most well-known self-proven howitzers, DANA, is in use by the Azerbaijani army. In addition, the MTSA-S self-propelled artillery system with a caliber of 152 mm, acquired by Azerbaijan some time ago, is considered one of the best in its class. From this point of view, the Azerbaijani army does not have a serious demand for self-propelled artillery systems. However, regarding the purchase of NORA, I think that the Azerbaijani army is gradually trying to increase the number of artillery systems that use 155 mm shells. In this regard, the purchase was made. In general, Serbia is one of the leading countries in the field of defense industry in Eastern Europe or among the former socialist countries. From this point of view, Azerbaijan's implementation of this purchase with Serbia should be appreciated only and only,” military pundit Ramil Mammadli concluded.