The Ukrainian defense website Army Inform reported that the Ukrainian Army has planned to replace Soviet-made 2A36 Giatsint-B 152mm towed howitzers, 2A65 MSTA-B 152mm towed howitzers, 2s19 152mm self-propelled howitzers and 2S5 152mm self-propelled howitzers with the DANA M2 wheeled 152mm self-propelled howitzer. The DANA M2 is an upgraded version of 52 mm DANA vz. 77 self-propelled gun-howitzer that has gone through a major modernization. The DANA M2 howitzer is equipped with a powerful Onboard Control System which contains subsystems of diagnostics, navigation, automatic gun aiming, autonomous calculation of shooting elements and ammunition selection subsystem.
The DANA (the name being derived from “dÄ›lo automobilnà nabÃjené automaticky”) 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); and was designed by KonÅ¡trukta TrenÄÃn 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 8×8 Tatra 815 chassis with excellent cross-country mobility. Currently it is in service with the Czech Republic, Libya, Poland, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Slovakia.
Excalibur Army, a subsidiary of the Czechoslovak Group, has developed the advanced version of its 152mm self-propelled howitzer, called the DANA M2. Up-graded fire control system along with “lay down” function and multi-fire single impact option. The newly developed solution of the fire control system is based upon the use of state-of-the-art technologies allowing the DANA M2 to be integrated into the C4I system. Up-graded hydraulics with 250% faster time to deploy the supports and getting out of possition. The DANA M2 boasts an unbeatable rate of fire, greater firing accuracy, excellent vehicle mobility and reliable operation of the system.
