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152 mm SpGH DANA

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The DANA (Dělo automobilní nabíjené automaticky (gun on truck loaded automatically) is a wheeled self-propelled artillery piece. It is also known as the Samohybná Kanónová Húfnica vzor 77 (ShKH vz. 77; self-propelled gun howitzer model 77). It was designed by Konštrukta Trenčín and built by ZTS Dubnica nad Váhom in the former Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia). Introduced in the 1970s, it was the first wheeled 152 mm self-propelled artillery gun to enter service. It is based on a modified eight-wheel drive (8×8) Tatra 815 chassis with excellent cross-country mobility. Currently it is in service with the Czech Republic, Libya, Poland, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, and Ukraine.

Vz. 77 DANA
ShKH vz. 77 of Czech Army during a military exercise, 21 November 2013.
TypeSelf-propelled gun
Place of originCzechoslovak Socialist Republic
Service history
In service1981–present
Wars
Production history
DesignerKonštrukta Trenčín
Designed1976 (1976)
ManufacturerZTS Dubnica nad Váhom (SK)
Excalibur Army (CZ)
Produced1980–present
No. built750+
Specifications
Mass29.250 t (32.243 short tons)
Length11.156 m (36 ft 7.2 in)
Width3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Height3.63 m (11 ft 11 in)
(with AAMG)
Crew5
ShellHE, HEAT
Shell weight
  • 43.5 kg (96 lb) (HE)
  • 27.4 kg (60 lb) (HEAT)
Caliber152.4 mm (6 in)
Barrels5,580 mm (18 ft 4 in)
BreechSemi-automatic, vertical sliding-wedge
Elevation-4° to +70°
Traverse±220°
Rate of fire
  • 4 rpm (semi-automatic)
  • 2 rpm (manual)
Muzzle velocity693 m/s (2,274 ft/s) (HE)
Effective firing range18.7 km (11.6 mi)
Maximum firing range20 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)
EngineTatra T2-930-34
253.7 kW (340.2 hp)
Ground clearance0.41 m (1 ft 4 in)
Operational
range
600 km (370 mi)
Maximum speed 80 km/h (50 mph)

Compared to tracked vehicles, wheeled vehicles have the advantages of being cheaper to build and easier to maintain with greater strategic mobility. Tyre pressure can be regulated via a central tyre inflation system (CTIS) to allow good mobility off-road and there is power-assisted steering on the front four wheels.

Three hydraulic stabilisers are lowered into the ground before firing the main gun, and a roof-mounted crane is available to assist with ammunition loading.

The crew of the DANA consists of a driver (who operates the hydraulic stabilisers), the commander sitting in the front cabin, the gunner (aims the gun and opens fire) and loader operator (selects the appropriate amount of powder charges) are on the left side of the turret, the ammo handler (sets the shells' primers) is on the right side of the turret.

Original DANA had manual fire control and automatic reloader. The latest version, DANA M2, also has computerised automatic fire control, allowing reduction of crew to as few as only two.

Development

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The DANA was designed in the late 1970s by Konštrukta Trenčín to provide the Czechoslovak People's Army with an indigenous self-propelled indirect fire support weapon without having to resort to purchasing the Soviet 2S3 Akatsiya SPG. Design work was completed in 1976 and the DANA project was handed off to production at ZTS Dubnica nad Váhom. It was accepted into service in 1981, and by 1994 over 750 units had been built. The DANA was also exported to Poland and Libya.

Design

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The DANA was a significant departure from contemporary self-propelled guns such as the tracked Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika/2S3 Akatsiya or its western-made M109 howitzer as it used a wheeled chassis and featured an innovative automated loading system which was the first of its kind at the time of its introduction to service. The vehicle has a driving cabin at the front, an open-topped fighting compartment at mid-length and the engine compartment in the rear. The front crew cabin seats both the driver/mechanic and vehicle commander. The armoured turret is installed on a traversable mount adapted to the Tatra 815 wheeled chassis (8x8) and is divided into two halves, divided by the howitzer's recoil mechanism and a pathway for the reciprocating action during firing. The left half of the turret is occupied by the gunner and first loader and houses the various fire control optics, electro-mechanical gun laying controls, the automatic propellant charge feeding device, and an auxiliary ammunition magazine. The right side of the turret contains a mechanised projectile delivery system which is operated by a second loader at this position.

The DANA's primary weapon is a 152 mm howitzer with a monolithic barrel (with a fixed rifling pitch) equipped with one expansion chamber. The howitzer has a semi-automatic, vertically-sliding-wedge-type breech which opens to the left side. The recoil assembly consists of a hydraulic buffer, two pneumatic return cylinders and a controlling plunger which governs the displacement of the buffering system. The gun laying is carried out by an electro-hydraulic drive system or an emergency manual control.

DANA's unique feature is that its autoloader is able to load a shell and a cartridge in any elevation of the barrel.

As there is no gyroscopic or similar system for independent, automated and autonomous gun laying in the DANA, the gunner of howitzer uses a ZZ-73 panoramic telescope with a PG1-M-D collimator for indirect gun laying. This sight has a horizontal scale used to set the appropriate horizontal laying via aiming at reference points. This means that the DANA is not an autonomous system there needs to be an additional device to assist in gun laying (in fact, the firing positions of such artillery systems are usually prepared before the guns are positioned there). For direct fire engagements, the gunner uses an OP5-38-D telescopic sight.

Ammunition

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As of 2014, there are three main shell types used by Czech Army:

  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

General characteristics

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  • Length: 10.5 m (34 ft)
  • Width: 2.8 m (9 ft)
  • Height: 2.6 m (8.53 ft)
  • Weight: 23,000 kg (50,706 lbs)
  • Performance:
    • Maximum Road Speed: 80 km/h (50 mph)
    • Range: 600 km (373 mi)
    • Rate of Fire: 3 rpm for 30 minutes
    • Maximum Gun Range: 28 km (17 mi)
    • Fording: 1.4 m (4.59 ft)
    • Vertical Obstacle: 1.5 m (5 ft)
    • Trench: 1.4 m (4.59 ft)
  • Crew: 4 to 5
  • Armament:
  • Elevation: -4° to +70°
  • Traverse: ±45°
  • Powerplant: one V-12 air-cooled diesel Tatra T2-939-34 engine delivering 345 horsepower (257.27 kW)

Variants

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Variant Image Year Crew Calibre Maximum range Rate of fire Chassis Users Notes
Czechoslovak variants
DANA   1979 5 152.4 mm (6 in)
37 calibers 		18.7 km (11.6 mi)
25.5 km (15.8 mi) (DN1CZ shells) 		5 rounds per minute
2 rounds per minute in manual mode
36 rounds carried in autoloader, up to 60 in total 		Tatra 815 8x8
V12 engine Tatra T2-930-34 253.7 kW (340.2 hp) 		  Czech Republic
  Georgia
  Poland
  Ukraine
Former operators:
  Czechoslovakia
  Slovakia
  Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
  Soviet Union
ONDAVA   Late 1980s 4 152.4 mm (6 in)
47 calibers 		32 km (20 mi) 6 rounds per minute
2 rounds per minute in manual mode
36 rounds carried in autoloader, 40 in total 		Tatra 815 8x8
V12 engine Tatra T3-930-52 265 kW (355 hp) 		Prototype only. [1]
Slovak development
MODAN 1999 4 152.4 mm (6 in)
42 calibers 		20 km (12 mi) 5 rounds per minute
2 rounds per minute in manual mode
36 rounds carried in autoloader, 60 in total 		Tatra 815 8x8
V12 engine Tatra T3-930-52 265 kW (355 hp) 		Former:
  Slovakia 		[2]
M2000 Zuzana   1998 4 155 mm (6 in)
45 calibers 		39 km (24 mi) 5 rounds per minute
2 rounds per minute in manual mode
36 rounds carried in autoloader, 40 in total 		Tatra 815 8x8
V12 engine Tatra T3-930-52 265 kW (355 hp) 		  Slovakia
  Cyprus 		[3]
A40 Himalaya 4 155 mm (6 in)
45 calibers 		39 km (24 mi) 5 rounds per minute
2 rounds per minute in manual mode
36 rounds carried in autoloader, 40 in total 		T-72 tank chassis
V-46 engine 573 kW (768 hp) 		Prototype only [4]
Zuzana 2   2019 4 155 mm (6 in)
52,9 calibers 		41 km (25 mi)
51.5 km (32.0 mi) (VLAP shells) 		5 rounds per minute
2 rounds per minute in manual mode
40 rounds carried 		Tatra 817 8x8
V8 engine Tatra T3D-928-70 325 kW (436 hp) 		  Slovakia
  Ukraine 		[5]
Czech development
DANA M1   2011 5 152.4 mm (6 in)
37 calibers 		18.7 km (11.6 mi)
25.5 km (15.8 mi) (DN1CZ shells) 		5 rounds per minute
2 rounds per minute in manual mode
36 rounds carried in autoloaderl, up to 60 in total 		Tatra 815 8x8
V12 engine Tatra T3-930-52M 265 kW (355 hp) 		  Azerbaijan [6]
DANA M2   2018 2 minimum (+1) 152.4 mm (6 in)
37 calibers 		18.7 km (11.6 mi)
25.5 km (15.8 mi) (DN1CZ shells) 		5 rounds per minute
2 rounds per minute in manual mode
36 rounds carried in autoloader, up to 60 in total 		Tatra 815 8x8
V12 engine Tatra T3-930-52M 265 kW (355 hp) 		  Poland
  Ukraine 		[7]
DITA 2021 2 minimum (+1) 155 mm (6 in)
45 calibers 		39 km (24 mi) (HE BB shell) 6 rounds per minute (including Multiple round simultaneous impact)
40 rounds carried in autoloader 		Tatra 817 8x8
V8 engine Tatra T3D-928-90 300 kW (400 hp) 		  Ukraine[8]
  Azerbaijan[9] 		[10]
MORANA 2022 3 155 mm (6 in)
52 calibers 		Indirect fire: 41.5 km (25.8 mi) (HE BB shell)
Direct fire: 5 km (3.1 mi)[11] 		6 rounds per minute (including Multiple round simultaneous impact)[11]
45 rounds carried in autoloader 		Tatra 817 wide-body 8x8
I6 engine Cummins ISX 447 kW (599 hp)
STANAG Level 2 Armor protection[11] 		Prototype only. [12][13]

Combat history

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Polish artillery supporting Polish, U.S. and Afghan forces in Afghanistan

Used by Georgia against Russia during the Russo-Georgian War. Two Georgian DANAs were destroyed and three or four captured in 2008.[14]

Used by Poland during the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021). Five Polish DANAs had been used in Afghanistan in Ghazni Province since 2008.

Used by Azerbaijan in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war against Armenia.[15]

Used by Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. An unknown number of 152 mm ShKH DANA M2 and 152 mm ShKH DANA vz. 77 were supplied by the Czech Republic in 2022.[16][17]

Operators

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  Current operators
  Former operators (as part of the Soviet Union)
  Former operators

Current operators

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  •   Azerbaijan – 36 DANA M1.[18][19][20]
  •   Czech Republic – 164 vz. 77 (to 1 July 2008) of original 273.
  •   Cyprus – 12 M2000G Zuzana via Greece.
  •   Poland – 111 vz. 77[21]
  •   Slovakia – 135 vz. 77 and 16 M2000 Zuzana.
  •   Georgia – 47 vz. 77 delivered by the Czech Republic from 2004.
  •   Ukraine
    • DANA vz. 77
    • DANA M2:
    • Zuzana 2:
      • Slovak Defense Ministry announced the donation of 8 Zuzana 2 in May 2022, with delivery being completed as of January 2023.[23][24]
      • Germany, Norway and Denmark agreed to purchase further 16 Zuzana 2 for delivery to Ukraine in 2022.[25]
    • DITA:
      • Netherlands has financed purchase of 9 DITA SPH for Ukraine in February 2024, all of which has been delivered in summer of 2024.
      • Another 6 DITA have been purchased by Netherlands on behalf of Ukraine in October of the same year.[26][27]

Future operators

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Former operators

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Comparable weapons

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References

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  1. ^ "Ondava (152mm samohybná kanónová houfnice)" [Ondava (152mm self-propelled gun howitzer)]. Valka.cz (in Czech). 18 May 2005.
  2. ^ "vz. 77/99 MODAN (152mm samohybná kanónová houfnice)". Valka.cz. 23 November 2015.
  3. ^ "vz. 2000 Zuzana (155mm samohybná kanónová houfnice)". Valka.cz. 28 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Zuzana A 40 Himalaya (155mm samohybná kanónová houfnice)". Valka.cz. 23 November 2015.
  5. ^ "ZUZANA 2 (155mm samohybná kanónová houfnice)". Valka.cz. 11 June 2016.
  6. ^ "DANA-M1M (152mm samohybná kanónová houfnice)". Valka.cz. 30 August 2016.
  7. ^ "DANA-M2 (152mm samohybná kanónová houfnice)". Valka.cz. 24 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Generaal Eichelsheim bezoekt aan Oekraïne leverende wapenfabrikanten in Tsjechië - Nieuwsbericht - Defensie.nl". 27 February 2024.
  9. ^ "Czech company Excalibur Army Set to Deliver over 70 155mm DITA Self-P". 6 May 2024.
  10. ^ "DITA (155mm samohybná kanónová houfnice)". Valka.cz. 20 January 2021.
  11. ^ a b c Visingr, Lukáš (26 January 2023). "Houfnice Morana" [Morana howitzer]. Střelecká revue (in Czech). 1 (2023).
  12. ^ "MORANA (155mm samohybná kanónová houfnice)". Valka.cz. 11 August 2023.
  13. ^ "EA ! Samohybná houfnice MORANA". morana.excaliburarmy.cz.
  14. ^ Tanks 2010, p. 110.
  15. ^ "Náboženství stranou, v Karabachu zabíjejí i české a izraelské zbraně" [Religion aside, Czech and Israeli weapons are killing in Karabakh]. Seznam Zprávy.
  16. ^ a b c "САУ Dana-M2, яку тестували в Україні, вже нищить рашистів у руках ЗСУ" [Dana-M2 SPG, which was tested in Ukraine, is already destroying rashists in the hands of the Armed Forces of Ukraine]. defence-ua.com (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  17. ^ a b c "Vojenská pomoc Ukrajině – Na Ukrajinu odjely i houfnice Dana a raketomety RM-70 Grad" [Military aid to Ukraine - Dana howitzers and RM-70 Grad rocket launchers went to Ukraine]. www.echo24.cz (in Czech). 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  18. ^ "Czech Dana M1 152mm 8x8 howitzers RM-70 Vampir MLRS in service with Azerbaijan army". Army Recognition. 21 September 2017. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  19. ^ Nakra, Daksh (21 September 2017). "Exercise reveals Azerbaijani Army Dana SPH and RM-70 MRL". IHS Jane's 360. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  20. ^ "Trade Registers". armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  21. ^ "Wojsko Polskie – Uzbrojenie" [Polish Army - Armaments]. Militarium. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013.
  22. ^ "Ukrajina nakoupí 26 českých samohybných houfnic DANA" [Ukraine to buy 26 Czech self-propelled howitzers DANA]. armadninoviny.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  23. ^ "Ukrajina si od Slovenska prevzala poslednú ôsmu húfnicu Zuzana 2". TV 2 (in Slovak). 16 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  24. ^ "Słowacja przekaże Ukrainie nowoczesną artylerię". defence24.pl (in Polish). 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  25. ^ "Slovakia transfers two Zuzana 2 howitzers to Ukraine 'for Putin's birthday'".
  26. ^ "Generaal Eichelsheim bezoekt aan Oekraïne leverende wapenfabrikanten in Tsjechië" [General Eichelsheim visits arms manufacturers in the Czech Republic supplying Ukraine]. 27 February 2024. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Netherlands Acquires Six DITA Howitzers for Ukraine's Defense". Militarnyi.ua. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  28. ^ "Excalibur Army will supply Azerbaijan with more than 70 units of the 155/52 mm self-propelled gun "Zuzana-2" of Slovak production". ВПК.name. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  29. ^ Cooper, Tom; Grandolini, Albert; Delalande, Arnaud (2016). Libyan Air Wars, Part 2: 1985-1986. Helion & Company Publishing. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-910294-53-6.
  30. ^ Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (3 January 2023). "Gaddafi's Massive Artillery Force That Kept On Fighting A Year After His Death". Oryx Blog.
  31. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (1991). The military balance. 1991-1992. London: Brassey's. p. 37. ISBN 978-0080413259.
  32. ^ "Trade Registers". armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to SpGH DANA.

"Self-propelled Howitzers: Self-propelled howitzer class artillery guns with 122, 152 and 155 mm calibre available". Excalibur Army.

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