ZUZANA 2 is an advanced wheeled 155mm self propelled gun howitzer developed by KONŠTRUKTA-Defence and produced by ZTS – ŠPECIÁL primarily for the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic.
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The artillery system is a new version of the 155mm / 45 calibre ZUZANA self propelled howitzer which entered into service with the Slovak Army in 1998. ZUZANA 2 is capable of conducting multiple round simultaneous impact (MRSI) operations.
The howitzer was demonstrated at the International Exhibition of Defence and Security Technologies (IDET) 2011 held in Brno, Czech Republic and at the International Defence Exhibition (IDEB) 2014 in Bratislava, Slovakia.
ZUZANA 2 artillery system design and features
The ZUZANA 2 self propelled autonomous howitzer is mounted on a TATRA 8×8 special chassis. The chassis offers enhanced mobility and long range.
DANA-M1 CZ is a modernised version of vz. 77 DANA (Delo Automobilní Nabíjené Automaticky) 152mm self-propelled wheeled howitzer developed by Excalibur Army to provide effective artillery support for the Czech Army.
The vehicle has a maximum length of 14.2m, height of 3.52m and width of 3.02m. The crew compartment accommodates up to four personnel and is equipped with an air conditioning system to reduce crew fatigue.
The vehicle incorporates an automatic fire-extinguisher system for internal fire safety. A power supply unit is also installed to provide energy to the turret and chassis aggregates when the engine is turned off.
Armament of ZUZANA 2 howitzer
The main armament is 155mm/52 calibre gun, which is 8.2m-long and weighs 1,894kg. It can fire six 155mm Nato projectiles per minute in automatic mode and two rounds per minute in manual mode. It offers a minimum firing range of 5km and a maximum range of 41km with ERFB-BB shells.
The gun offers high firing accuracy and can be rotated through -3.5° / +70° in elevation angle and through ± 60° in traverse angle.
The artillery system features both direct and indirect firing capabilities and can carry up to 40 ready-to-fire projectiles and 40 powder charges in the conveyers. The conveyers can carry new types of projectiles of 1m length and can also load them into the gun automatically. The turret incorporates four smoke grenade launchers on each side for greater survivability.
Protection features
The ZUZANA 2 artillery system offers superior protection for the crew against nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) weapons, mounted weapons, small arms, and ammunition fragments.
The weapon mounts are provided with ballistic protection against the direct fire and the fire at ± 30° angles, meeting the STANAG 4569 Level 4 standard.
Observation and fire control of ZUZANA 2 howitzer
The turret is mounted with thermal weapon sight and night vision to provide enhanced field of view during low light / night operations. An additional sight is also fitted to offer increased direct fire accuracy.
The artillery system incorporates an onboard fire control system (FCS) to enable easy operation with digital maps. It provides target accuracy and computes firing data during loading and firing. It is installed with an inertial navigation system (INS), a muzzle velocity radar and electronic equipment for providing target information. The howitzer can be equipped with a variety of communication systems based on the customers’ needs.
ZUZANA 2 engine and mobility
The ZUZANA 2 howitzer vehicle is powered by an eight-cylinder TATRA T3B-928.70 engine, which is located at the rear between the turrets. The engine develops a maximum power output of 330kW at 1,800rpm and is coupled to a TATRA 10 TS 180 gearbox. The fuel tank capacity of the vehicle is 460lt. The vehicle offers a maximum road speed of 80km/h and an operating range of 600km.
The vehicle is fitted with 15.00-21, tactical, two way MP 914 or 16.00-R20 Michelin XZL tires. It can cross a vertical step of 0.6m and trench of 2m. The vehicle can negotiate a longitudinal grade of 60% and is capable of fording a maximum depth of 1.4m.
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