SpGH DANA (Zuzana)

The Story of SpGH DANA (Zuzana)

The DANA (Samohybná Kanónová Húfnica vzor 77) is a wheeled self-propelled artillery piece designed in the 1970s by Konštrukta Trenčín for the Czechoslovak military. It was created to meet the need for an indigenous self-propelled weapon system capable of indirect fire support. The design, completed in 1976, utilized the Tatra T815 series truck's 8x8 wheel chassis and featured an internal automatic loading mechanism, a departure from the manual loading systems of the time.

Accepted by the Czechoslovak army in 1981, the DANA has seen mass production by ZTS Dubnica nad Vahom, with approximately 755 units produced to date. The vehicle's exterior design reflects its eight large wheels and crew compartment in the forward hull, housing the driver, commander, and control systems. The main gun, a powerful 152mm howitzer, is mounted on a movable platform amidships, protruding above the crew compartment.

Operated by a crew of 5 (or 4 in a recent variant), the DANA's main gun has an elevation angle of +70 degrees to -4 degrees and a lateral range of +/- 45 degrees. The vehicle is equipped with a digital fire control system, a 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun, and a travel length of 34.4 feet. It weighs 50,700 pounds and is powered by a Tatra V-12 Series T930-34 air-cooled diesel engine with 345 horsepower, providing a maximum road speed of 50 mph and a range of 373 miles.

DANA has several notable variants, including the 155mm ShKH "Zuzana," featuring a more powerful main gun, and the 152mm ShKH "MODAN," a modernized version with a digital fire control system. The DANA's deployment extends to countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Libya, Poland, Georgia, and Ukraine.

The DANA's uniqueness lies in its wheeled chassis, providing cost advantages over tracked vehicles, ease of maintenance, and greater mobility. Its autoloading system, introduced innovations like a roof-mounted crane for ammunition loading, and three hydraulic stabilizers to counter the main gun's recoil.

Additionally, various DANA variants, such as the 155mm ShKH "Himalaya" and the 152mm ShKH "Ondava," showcase ongoing developments and improvements. Despite its origins in the 1970s, the DANA remains relevant with continuous updates and adaptations for modern warfare scenarios.

Specification

Basics

Designer: Konštrukta Trenčín

Designed: 1976

Manufacturer: ZTS Dubnica nad Váhom (SK); Excalibur Army (CZ)

Produced: 1980 - present

No. built: 750+

Dimensions

Mass: 29.250 t (32.243 short tons)

Length: 11.156 m (36 ft 7.2 in)

Width: 3 m (9 ft 10 in)

Height: 3.63 m (11 ft 11 in); (with AAMG)

Crew: 5

Shell: HE, HEAT

Shell weight: 43.5 kg (96 lb) (HE); 27.4 kg (60 lb) (HEAT)

Performance

Caliber: 152.4 mm (6 in)

Barrels: 5,580 mm (18 ft 4 in)

Breech: Semi-automatic, vertical sliding-wedge

Elevation: -4° to +70°

Traverse: ±220°

Rate of fire: 4 rpm (semi-automatic); 2 rpm (manual)

Muzzle velocity: 693 m/s (2,274 ft/s) (HE)

Effective firing range: 18.7 km (11.6 mi)

Maximum firing range: 20 km (12 mi)

Sights: ZZ-73 with PG1-M-D collimator (indirect fire); OP5-38-D (direct fire)

Main armament: 152 mm howitzer (approx. 36.6 calibre) (60 rounds)

Secondary armament: 12.7 mm DShK (2,000 rounds)

Engine: Tatra T2-930-34 253.7 kW (340.2 hp)

Ground clearance: 0.41 m (1 ft 4 in)

Operational range: 600 km (370 mi)

Maximum speed: 80 km/h (50 mph)

Ammunition

1. 152-EOF, which means "high-explosive" with a maximum range of 18 kilometres (11 mi)

2. 152-EOFd, which means "high-explosive long-range" with a maximum range of 20 kilometres (12 mi)

3. 152-EPrSv, which means "high-explosive anti-tank" used for direct-fire at armored targets

Variants

DANA

• Year: 1979

• Crew: 5

• Calibre: 152.4 mm (6 in) 37 calibers

• Maximum Range: 18.7 km (11.6 mi), 25.5 km (15.8 mi) (DN1CZ shells)

• Rate of Fire: 5 rounds per minute, 2 rounds per minute in manual mode

• Chassis: Tatra 815 8x8

• Engine: V12 engine Tatra T2-930-34, 253.7 kW (340.2 hp)

• Users: Czech Republic, Georgia, Poland, Ukraine

• Notes: Former operators include Czechoslovakia, Slovakia, Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Soviet Union

ONDAVA

• Year: Late 1980s

• Crew: 4

• Calibre: 152.4 mm (6 in) 47 calibers

• Maximum Range: 32 km (20 mi)

• Rate of Fire: 6 rounds per minute, 2 rounds per minute in manual mode

• Chassis: Tatra 815 8x8

• Engine: V12 engine Tatra T3-930-52, 265 kW (355 hp)

• Notes: Prototype only

MODAN

• Year: 1999

• Crew: 4

• Calibre: 152.4 mm (6 in) 42 calibers

• Maximum Range: 20 km (12 mi)

• Rate of Fire: 5 rounds per minute, 2 rounds per minute in manual mode

• Chassis: Tatra 815 8x8

• Engine: V12 engine Tatra T3-930-52, 265 kW (355 hp)

• Former Users: Slovakia

M2000 Zuzana

• Year: 1998

• Crew: 4

• Calibre: 155 mm (6 in) 45 calibers

• Maximum Range: 39 km (24 mi)

• Rate of Fire: 5 rounds per minute, 2 rounds per minute in manual mode

• Chassis: Tatra 815 8x8

• Engine: V12 engine Tatra T3-930-52, 265 kW (355 hp)

• Users: Slovakia, Cyprus

A40 Himalaya

• Crew: 4

• Calibre: 155 mm (6 in) 45 calibers

• Maximum Range: 39 km (24 mi)

• Rate of Fire: 5 rounds per minute, 2 rounds per minute in manual mode

• Chassis: T-72 tank chassis

• Engine: V-46 engine, 573 kW (768 hp)

• Notes: Prototype only

Zuzana 2

• Year: 2019

• Crew: 4

• Calibre: 155 mm (6 in) 52.9 calibers

• Maximum Range: 41 km (25 mi), 51.5 km (32.0 mi) (VLAP shells)

• Rate of Fire: 5 rounds per minute, 2 rounds per minute in manual mode

• Chassis: Tatra 817 8x8

• Engine: V8 engine Tatra T3D-928-70, 325 kW (436 hp)

• Users: Slovakia, Ukraine

DANA M1

• Year: 2011

• Crew: 5

• Calibre: 152.4 mm (6 in) 37 calibers

• Maximum Range: 18.7 km (11.6 mi), 25.5 km (15.8 mi) (DN1CZ shells)

• Rate of Fire: 5 rounds per minute, 2 rounds per minute in manual mode

• Chassis: Tatra 815 8x8

• Engine: V12 engine Tatra T3-930-52M, 265 kW (355 hp)

• Users: Azerbaijan

DANA M2

• Year: 2018

• Crew: 2 minimum (+1)

• Calibre: 152.4 mm (6 in) 37 calibers

• Maximum Range: 18.7 km (11.6 mi), 25.5 km (15.8 mi) (DN1CZ shells)

• Rate of Fire: 5 rounds per minute, 2 rounds per minute in manual mode

• Chassis: Tatra 815 8x8

• Engine: V12 engine Tatra T3-930-52M, 265 kW (355 hp)

• Users: Poland, Ukraine

DITA

• Year: 2021

• Crew: 2 minimum (+1)

• Calibre: 155 mm (6 in) 45 calibers

• Maximum Range: 39 km (24 mi) (HE BB shell)

• Rate of Fire: 6 rounds per minute

• Rounds Carried: 40 in autoloader

• Chassis: Tatra 817 8x8

• Engine: V8 engine Tatra T3D-928-90, 300 kW (400 hp)

• Notes: Prototype only

MORANA

• Year: 2022

• Crew: 3

• Calibre: 155 mm (6 in) 52 calibers

• Maximum Range: Indirect fire: 41.5 km (25.8 mi) (HE BB shell) Direct fire: 5 km (3.1 mi)

• Rate of Fire: 6 rounds per minute (including Multiple round simultaneous impact)

• Rounds Carried: 45 in autoloader

• Chassis: Tatra 817 8x8

• Engine: I6 engine Cummins ISX, 447 kW (599 hp)

• Additional Features: STANAG Level 2 Armor protection

• Notes: Prototype only