MKE Debuts Attila and Uran Howitzers as Mobile Artillery Demand Grows

By Bosphorus News Defense Desk

Türkiye's state defence manufacturer MKE has unveiled two new vehicle-mounted howitzers at SAHA Expo 2026, adding a 155 mm heavy artillery system and a lighter 105 mm mobile fire-support platform to the country's land warfare portfolio.

The systems, named ATTİLA and URAN, were displayed during the May defence exhibition as Türkiye's defence industry continues to respond to renewed global demand for mobile artillery, counter-battery survivability and rapid fire support.

The heavier system, ATTİLA 155 mm, places a 155/52 mm artillery solution on a wheeled platform. The lighter URAN 105 mm adapts the firepower of MKE's BORAN towed howitzer to a 4x4 vehicle, giving Turkish forces and potential export customers a more mobile option for lighter formations.

Janes reported that MKE displayed both systems at SAHA Expo 2026 and that company officials said factory tests for URAN and ATTİLA had been completed.

ATTİLA Brings 155 mm Firepower to a Wheeled Platform

ATTİLA is the heavier of the two new systems. It is designed as a 155 mm truck-mounted howitzer, giving MKE a wheeled artillery platform in the same broad category as systems such as CAESAR, ATMOS and Archer.

Janes reported, citing company officials, that ATTİLA uses a 155/52 mm gun, can fire four to six rounds per minute and can be brought into firing position in under a minute. Specialist reporting also placed the system on a Tatra T815 6x6 chassis, with a road speed of up to 85 kilometres per hour and an operational range of around 850 kilometres.

The system's value lies in mobility as much as firepower. The Ukraine war has shown how quickly artillery units can be detected by drones, counter-battery radar and electronic surveillance after firing. Wheeled howitzers are increasingly judged by how fast they can move, fire and leave the position before return fire arrives.

ATTİLA gives MKE a platform aimed directly at that requirement. Its 155 mm calibre keeps it inside the heavy artillery class used by NATO armies, while the wheeled configuration points to faster deployment, lower logistical burden and easier movement across road networks than tracked systems.

URAN Moves BORAN Firepower Onto a 4x4 Chassis

URAN fills a different role. It is a 105 mm vehicle-mounted howitzer built around the engineering base of MKE's BORAN light towed howitzer, a system already associated with air-mobile and rapidly deployable units.

Defence reporting identified URAN as a 105/30 mm system mounted on a 4x4 light vehicle chassis. MKE-linked reporting said the system combines BORAN's firepower with a mobile platform and uses an MKE-developed fire control system.

URAN is reported to reach a rate of fire of up to 10 to 12 rounds per minute and a range of around 18 kilometres, depending on ammunition. Those figures place it in the lighter mobile artillery category, where speed, crew size and deployability matter more than heavy long-range fire.

The concept is clear. URAN is not a replacement for 155 mm artillery. It gives lighter formations a faster and more mobile fire-support option, closer in concept to systems designed for rapid reaction forces, border security missions and expeditionary deployments.

Why Mobile Artillery Matters Now

The two systems arrive at a time when artillery is again central to land warfare.

Russia's war in Ukraine has pushed armies to reassess ammunition stocks, gun barrel life, mobility, drone exposure and counter-battery survival. Static or slow artillery systems face growing risks in a battlefield watched by unmanned aircraft and saturated by precision fire.

That environment has increased interest in shoot-and-scoot systems. A modern howitzer is no longer judged only by range and calibre. It is also judged by how quickly it enters position, opens fire, receives targeting data and leaves before being located.

ATTİLA and URAN address two layers of that problem. ATTİLA gives MKE a heavy 155 mm wheeled platform for longer-range fire support. URAN gives the company a lighter 105 mm system designed around mobility and rapid response.

The combination broadens Türkiye's artillery offering at a moment when NATO members, Middle Eastern armies and other buyers are paying closer attention to mobile fires and ammunition availability.

Wider MKE Showcase at SAHA 2026

The howitzers were part of a wider MKE presence at SAHA Expo 2026.

Turkish defence reporting said MKE also showcased systems including ALPAY-2, a minefield breaching system; BOZKIR, a 120 mm vehicle-mounted weapon system; MALAMAN, a smart naval mine; 130 mm naval decoy ammunition; and MKE-300 Blackout small-arms products.

MKE's air-defence portfolio was also visible through reporting on TOLGA, a very-short-range air defence concept integrating the ENFAL-17 missile, laser weapon elements and acoustic detection.

That broader display shows MKE moving across several capability areas at once: artillery, air defence, naval munitions, mine warfare, small arms and armoured support systems.

Production and Export Context

MKE's artillery push also sits inside a larger industrial picture.

The company is one of Türkiye's central producers of guns, ammunition, explosives and land-warfare systems. Its role has become more important as the war in Ukraine has exposed shortages in conventional ammunition and pushed NATO countries to rebuild stockpiles.

The new howitzers therefore carry significance beyond the SAHA exhibition floor. They show MKE trying to move from legacy artillery and ammunition production into a more complete mobile fire-support portfolio.

ATTİLA and URAN also give Türkiye two exportable concepts in different weight classes. ATTİLA speaks to armies looking for 155 mm wheeled firepower. URAN targets lighter formations that need a mobile 105 mm system with a smaller footprint.

The systems still need to move through testing, procurement decisions and possible customer interest. Their debut nevertheless shows where MKE is placing its artillery bet: faster platforms, shorter firing cycles and systems designed for a battlefield where staying still has become increasingly dangerous.

***Sources: MKE-linked reporting via DHA, Janes, EDR Magazine, Army Recognition, TurDef, Bosphorus News.