Today (18 July), a new artillery battery consisting of six 105 mm howitzers, “Boran” and other associated equipment, which were purchased from Türkiye as part of the process of modernization and equipping of the Army, was promoted at the “Mirche Acev” barracks in Prilep, in the presence of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Minister of Defense Vlado Misajlovski and the Chief of the General Staff, Major General Sashko Lafchiski.
At the promotion, Prime Minister Mickoski emphasized that “there is no more improvisation, no more outdated equipment and declarative support”, but real investments, a plan, a strategy, there is will and responsibility.
“With this procurement, we are building a state that confidently stands shoulder to shoulder with its allies. Macedonia that cares for its soldiers, that respects its Army and that knows that a strong Army means secure people. To all members of the Army – congratulations.”
“This equipment is for you. For your safety, for your capability and for your commitment to the homeland. And you are our first bulwark and the pride of the state. Macedonia must succeed. And it will succeed only if it is strong, independent and secure,” Mickoski said.
Minister Misaljovski stressed that the Ministry is investing and will continue to invest in the Army, which is “being built continuously, with each passing day.” Building Macedonian defense capacities, he said, means a strong and equipped Army, always ready to respond to the needs of the citizens and the security of the state.
“This equipment is manufactured in Türkiye in accordance with the highest NATO standards. The procurement of this military equipment through a government-to-government agreement sends a clear message that we have enormous confidence in the high quality of the products from the Turkish military specialized industry,” the Minister said.
Misajlovski thanked Ambassador Fatih Ulusoy, Defense Attaché Colonel Recai Yilmaz, as well as all other involved, for their sincere support and dedication, and said that the cooperation is mutual, and a successful example of this is the Framework Agreement on Military Cooperation that was signed last year.
The Chief of the General Staff, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, said that with the procurement of the “Boran” howitzers, the implementation of one of the key components within the project “Equipment and Ammunition for Indirect Fire Support” begins and directly contributes to the fulfillment of our obligations under the NATO Capability Targets set in 2021 and confirmed with the new 2025 Package.
“This is a new modern weapon that possesses the required tactical and technical characteristics. The Turkish Armed Forces received this weapon in 2021, and just four years later it is part of our Army, making us the first country in Europe to possess it. The provision of these artillery assets significantly strengthens the indirect fire support capacities of the Army, while at the same time achieving the desired interoperability for participation in NATO-led operations,” the General emphasized.
Turkish Ambassador Fatih Ulusoy underlined that the cooperation in the field of defense industry is an important part of our bilateral relations and that stability and security in the Balkans is a priority of Turkish foreign policy.
“Today, we are jointly reviewing concrete examples of our cooperation in the field of military and defense industry. The BORAN howitzers of MKE and the ASELSAN fire support command and control systems that North Macedonia purchased from our country are an important step in achieving NATO standards by the Macedonian Army. We appreciate that our companies, which manufacture according to European standards and at low prices, will continue to contribute to the efforts to modernize our ally, the Army of North Macedonia according to NATO standards,” Ambassador Ulusoy noted.
The six “Boran” howitzers are part of the declared battery of the artillery battalion within the Light Infantry Battalion Group of the Army.
