25.04.2020.

Minister Vulin: A 40 kilometre-range missile for the first time since 1991

The Serbian Armed Forces are conquering both what they once had and new capabilities, and not a single day will pass without working to strengthen and modernize our military, the Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin said today after attending a test firing from a 155 mm NORA-B52 M15 self-propelled gun-howitzer in Mozgovo near Aleksinac, carried out jointly by the members of the Mixed Artillery Brigade and Technical Test Centre. He was accompanied by the colleagues from the “Jugoimport SDPR” Company.

- For the first time since 1991, the Serbian Armed Forces have fired a missile with a range of 40 kilometres. This is a historic day for us and it has proven that we are able to regain the capabilities we once had.

According to Minister Vulin, there are very few countries in the world that are capable of producing such weapons and ammunition used by those weapons.

- Our country shows that it has preserved the Serbian Defence Industry and that the Serbian Armed Forces have someone to rely on. It also shows that it is able to keep up with any force in the world when it comes to artillery and long-range artillery missiles - said the Minister of Defence.

Acting Assistant Minister for Material Resources, Nenad Miloradović, explains that today's firing is significant for both the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Defence Industry, which developed this weapon and continues to develop new types of weapons and long-range ammunition.

- There is a trend in the world to increase the range of precision fire and to introduce other methods, such as missiles with trajectory projections that allow greater accuracy in these ranges. Serbia is one of the few countries, among 10 countries in the world, that has the ability to develop this type of long-range artillery systems, weapons, ammunition, and fire control systems - said Miloradović.

For those who develop and produce weapons, for those who use them or train to use them, it is important that we have appropriate testing grounds, because that is the only way to maximize the potential of the weapon, emphasizes Miloradović.

Assistant Director General of the Research and Development Directorate at “Jugoimport SDPR” Milan Furtula thinks that today’s firing from a 155 mm NORA self-propelled howitzer is historic.

- Today, we have fulfilled our goal and achieved what we wanted; we have reached a target area at the distance of 40 km, for the first time in such conditions, with a completely domestic product, a self-propelled gun-howitzer, which is locally-developed product, and ammunition, which is mostly produced in Serbia. A significant result and a significant step, because we have not had the opportunity to do this so far.

Furtula points out that so far, firing at 40 kilometre ranges has only been carried out in the countries where we exported the systems.

- I think that with such short preparation and with three organizational units involved - the Ministry of Defence, the Serbian Armed Forces and Jugoimport, the right thing has been done and we have shown that we are on the right track and close to the final goal - says Furtula.

Second Lieutenant Katarina Janković, who fired from the 155 mm NORA self-propelled gun-howitzer today, points out that she is very proud to have had the honour of participating in that historic moment for the Serbian Armed Forces.

- We are at an artillery site in the Mozgovo village, near Aleksinac. Today, the Serbian Armed Forces fired at a target at a range of 40 kilometres from a 155 mm NORA self-propelled gun-howitzer for the first time. Our target is in the “Pasuljanske livade” training ground, at Veliki Antravelj - said Second Lieutenant Janković, noting that she was satisfied with the firing result.

Today's firing was attended by the Head of the Development and Equipping Department of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Brigadier General Milan Popović, and the Director of the Technical Test Centre, Colonel Slobodan Ilić.