The air-portable 105 mm Light Towed Howitzer BORAN, developed by Machinery and Chemical Industry Inc. (MKE) with domestic and national resources, has marked a new milestone for the Turkish defense industry. BORAN, which carried out the first overseas howitzer export in the history of the Republic of Turkey to Bangladesh, has now achieved the first howitzer export success to Europe with the delivery to North Macedonia.
6 BORANs Delivered to North Macedonia
Within the scope of the contract signed with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of North Macedonia on December 21, 2022; 6 x 105 mm Air Transportable Light Towed Howitzer and accompanying ammunition, Successfully delivered on June 6, 2025. This delivery is the first howitzer delivery from Türkiye to the European continent.
Having successfully completed the pre-shipment test and inspection processes at the Karapınar Firing Range before delivery to the Bangladesh Armed Forces, BORAN had gained a strong reference on the international stage. The same high standard and success has now been repeated for the North Macedonia Armed Forces.
BORAN: Stands Out with Its Lightness, Speed and Superior Technology
BORAN, which has been in the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces since 2021, The barrel is 105 millimeters in diameter and 30 calibers long. has. Including Fire Control System With a weight of 1.745 kilograms It has the distinction of being the lightest howitzer in the world in its class. This lightness makes it critical in terms of air transportability.
The system is at sea level 17 kilometers range can reach and Being able to be set up and ready to fire in less than a minute It has the ability to make 6 beats per minute and Sikorsky S-70 can be transported by air with Chinook helicopters and by land with heavy load carrying vehicles. stands out. Also, BORAN's ability to shoot on wheels, an important feature that distinguishes it from its competitors.
With its GPS-supported Fire Control System, panoramic binoculars and rapid deployment capability, BORAN offers more flexible, effective and rapid solutions in the field compared to classical systems. In this context, the system, which is successfully used in the internal security and air-supported operations of the Turkish Armed Forces, was designed especially for commando brigades.
In the past process, MKE Çankırı Weapon Factory Manager Fatih Bulanık stated that BORAN has modern fire control systems and can make successful shots by knowing its location even if it is dropped in an unknown place in the dark of night. He also shared the information that the gun has a night vision system that allows it to shoot at targets at distances of 2 thousand meters and less.
With this first howitzer export to Europe, Turkey has once again proven its technological level and export capacity in the defense industry. BORAN is solidifying its place in the global market as a concrete representative of MKE's engineering power and Türkiye's domestic defense vision.
