The Turkish Armed Forces recently received a batch of the first seven Boran 105mm Air Transportable Light Towed Howitzer (ATLTH). The Boran (Thunderstorm) is designed and developed by MKE engineers in line with the demands of the Turkish Ministry of National Defense. The howitzer is taking aim at the international light howitzer market currently dominated by the BAE Systems’ M777. The 1,720-kilogram (3,792 pounds) light towed howitzer is consonant with Sikorsky S-70 and Chinook CH-47 helicopters. The system aims to meet needs of the Turkish Armed Forces commandos and infantry troops to perform air raid operations
The Boran 105 mm features a bow type carriage, and fires 105 mm/30 calibre ordnance. It has a variable recoil system that varies from 800 mm (short) to 120 mm (long), and the barrel is provided with a muzzle brake. The Boran was made ready in a short time and it has a range of 17 kilometers (11 miles). The system provides digital integration of howitzer to command control systems and fire support elements. The howitzer, which automatically directs itself to the target with the data entered into the fire control system, can be used by the gunner from both the right and the left.
For the 105mm Boran Howitzer Project, Makine Kimya Endustri Kurumu is developing the weapon system and Aselsan is developing the fire control system. The Boran has successfully passed 24 tests in international standards. The qualification tests of the BORAN 105 mm Air Portable Light Towed Howitzer Fire Control System were successfully completed with the shots made in Konya / Karapinar in January 2021. The weapon’s system can be used between the Celsius degrees of -32 and 44 nonstop for 8 hours. According to the first contract, the development contract period for the howitzer was 49 months, and the mass production phase of 106 105mm howitzers was 54 months.
The 105mm Boran Howitzer can reach a range of 17 km with deep-fired ammunition. The pressure of rocket-powered ammunition in the barrel has not been tested yet. It is planned that the howitzer, which is at the same level with its counterparts in the world, will not reduce its weight any more in order to fit more firmly on the ground and to provide shooting accuracy. The force does not prefer the rocket-assisted howitzer bullet because it reduces the firing sensitivity, but as in the Raytheon Excalibur 155 ammunition, GPS / INS / SAL guidance systems are added to provide this shooting accuracy.
