Artillery units from Serbia and Azerbaijan have kicked off bilateral training centered on the B-52 M-15 Nora 155 mm self-propelled howitzer at ranges near Niš and Pasuljanske Livade. The two-week tactical program is intended to ready Azerbaijani crews for newly procured Nora systems and deepen practical military cooperation between the two countries.
According to the Serbian Ministry of Defense, the exercise began on 23 October 2025 with classroom and brigade-level instruction at the Combined Artillery Brigade base in Niš, followed by live-fire validation at the Pasuljanske Livade firing range. The drills come after senior-level meetings in Baku earlier in October and economic talks in Belgrade on 23–24 October, underscoring a broader uptick in bilateral engagement.
The training accelerates Azerbaijan’s path to operational capability by familiarizing crews with the Nora’s tactical employment, sustainment routines, and fast shoot-and-scoot procedures — critical skills for modern high-intensity artillery operations. The activity also forms part of implementation efforts tied to Baku’s 2024 procurement of Nora systems and associated support packages.
Developed by Yugoimport SDPR with input from Serbia’s Military Technical Institute, the B-52 M-15 Nora is a truck-mounted 155 mm/52-caliber howitzer featuring automated loading, digital fire-control systems, and a baseline range of about 41 km (with extended-range munitions capable of significantly greater reach). The M-15 introduces a protected crew cabin, enhanced ballistic computing, blast- and mine-mitigation measures, and options such as a remote weapon station for close-in defense, all on an 8×8 wheeled chassis that favors strategic mobility and lower lifecycle costs versus heavier tracked platforms.
For Azerbaijan — which operates a mix of legacy Soviet-pattern and newer Western-caliber artillery — adopting a modern 52-caliber wheeled gun-howitzer simplifies logistics, improves compatibility with precision 155 mm munitions, and strengthens long-range fires. Comparatively, Nora’s range and responsiveness place it alongside other contemporary 52-caliber wheeled systems in the market, offering a balance between mobility, automation and cost.
Strategically, the joint program formalizes a practical channel for doctrine transfer, crew proficiency and maintenance know-how between Belgrade and Baku, while compressing the interval between delivery and full combat readiness. Public reporting ties Azerbaijan’s February 2024 order to an approximate $339–340 million package for 48 Nora systems and associated support — figures that broadly align with recent export deals when spares, training and ancillary vehicles are included.
Overall, the Serbia–Azerbaijan work-up around the B-52 M-15 Nora advances operational readiness for a significant 155 mm artillery program and cements closer defense-industrial and military ties. If fielding in Azerbaijan follows the timelines suggested by these preparatory exercises, the regional artillery posture will increasingly prioritize agile, wheeled 52-caliber systems capable of rapid, massed, and resilient long-range fires.
