AUSA 2021: GMP and Yugoimport present NORA B-52 M21 155mm 8x8 sel-propelled howitzer.

At AUSA 2021, Association of United States Army Defense Exhibition, American company GMP (Global Military Products) in collaboration with the Serbian company Yugoimport presents the NORA B-52 M21 155 mm wheeled Mobile Howitzer System based on 8x8 MAN military truck chassis. The U.S. Army has launched a military program to equip Stryker brigades with a new mobile artillery system, the NORA B-52 is one of the candidates for this program.

American company GMP and Yugoimport from Serbia present the NORA B-52 M21 155mm truck-mounted mobile self-propelled howitzer at AUSA 2021 defense exhibition in Washington D.C. (Picture source GMP)

In September 2021, American company Global Ordnance, LLC (GO) and manufacturer Yugoimport SDPR J.P. of Serbia completed successful testing by the U.S. Army of the NORA B-52 M21 155 mm Mobile Howitzer System at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) in the United States.

The tests measured a wide variety of performance parameters including mobility, fire control integration, firing U.S. Army projectiles with MACS propelling charges across the full range of propellant charge zones focusing on max charge firing.

Yugo's NORA B-52 M21 is the latest version of the NORA system which received a chassis upgrade along with updates to the fully automatic loading system for compatibility with U.S. Army MACS propellant charges. Yugo design engineers participated in the testing to learn what upgrades would be most needed by U.S. Army artillery crews. Upgrades from feedback during testing are already being designed to meet the mobile artillery needs of the U.S. Army.

The Nora B-52 is a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer weapon system fully developed and designed by the Serbian company Yugoimport and the Military Technical Institute Belgrade. For the U.S. Army program, Yugoimport has designed a version of the Nora B-52 based on an 8x8 MAN truck chassis.

The NORA B-52 is fitted with 155-mm / L52 gun-howitzer. It is a further development of the Yugoslavian M84 NORA A gun-howitzer. The NORA B-52 fires all standard NATO 155-mm ammunition. It is fitted with an automatic gun loader enabling a rate of fire of 6 rounds per minute. The vehicle carries a total of 36 rounds. The autoloader holds 12 rounds. The howitzer has a maximum firing range of 41 km.