Nora B-52

The Nora B-52 is a Serbian 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer designed by the Military Technical Institute and manufactured by Yugoimport SDPR.

The system descends from the original Nora B, developed by the Military Technical Institute in 1984, which mounted a modified 152 mm Nora M-84 howitzer on a FAP 8x8 truck chassis and belonged to the third generation of artillery systems. During the 2000s the Military Technical Institute developed a fourth-generation system built around a 52-calibre 155 mm gun, designated B-52.

The howitzer is truck-mounted, with the K prefix in most designations denoting a Kamaz chassis, the following numeral indicating the orientation of the main armament relative to north, and the trailing letter the equipment standard or export configuration. The K0 was the first serial variant, with an open turret, manual laying and direct line of sight. The K1(S) introduced a semi-open turret, full automation, independent automatic navigation, an automatic fire control system and a reduced crew. The M03(S) is a semi-open turret variant derived from the K0 and K1, the S suffix denoting Serbian Army service. The KE is the fully automatic export version. The K-I, designated M15 in Serbian service, adds a closed armoured turret, a stronger chassis, a barrel-mounted radar for measuring projectile velocity and trajectory, NBC protection for cabin and turret, automatic fire suppression, smoke grenade launchers, crew intercom and new software. The M21 provides STANAG 4569 level 2 protection. The NG variant increases autoloader capacity to 30 rounds with six additional aboard the vehicle, with a 60-second deployment time and fully automatic fire data setting. The MGS-25 Aleksandar fires at six rounds per minute to 32.5 km with standard ammunition and 56 km with 155 mm HE ERFB RA/BB (VLAP) projectiles, carries 12 ready rounds in a revolver-type autoloader plus 12 stowed behind the crew cabin, automatically lays the gun to north, and can be operated by remote control at up to 100 metres from the vehicle. As a self-contained module it can be mounted on Kamaz, MAN and other truck chassis.

All autoloader-equipped versions have multiple rounds simultaneous impact capability. Standard equipment includes a computerised fire control system and a land navigation system; Bangladeshi vehicles use the SAGEM Sigma 30 inertial navigation platform. Ballistic protection covers small arms fire, shell splinters and some mines. The gun is JBMOU-compatible and fires domestic and foreign 155 mm ammunition. The Mihajlo Pupin Institute developed a training simulator incorporating terrain maps of the customer country, capable of training up to three batteries or a battalion of 18 guns.

Serbia has exported the system as part of a package including BOV M11 reconnaissance vehicles, BOV M10 command vehicles, battery fire control and meteorological vehicles, ammunition loading trucks and artillery software for platoon, battery and division level. A full battery typically comprises 6–12 howitzers, one or two reconnaissance vehicles, three command vehicles, 3–6 ammunition trucks, communications, workshop and supply vehicles, and fire direction vehicles with radar and sound ranging. For the Cypriot order, the BOV M16 Miloš replaced the BOV M11.

Operators include Serbia, Bangladesh, Cyprus, Kenya and Myanmar, with orders placed by Algeria and Azerbaijan. The type was tested by Pakistan and the UAE in 2017, and by the U.S. Army in a 2021 shoot-off alongside the Archer, CAESAR and ATMOS 2000.