The most important European trade fair of military technology and defence technologies Eurosatory is currently held in Paris. On the very first day, several new products were presented in the world premiere at the joint stand of the companies of the CZECHOSLOVAK GROUP (CSG) holding and the TATRA TRUCKS car manufacturer in Koprivnice. The greatest interest was raised undoubtedly by the new wheeled self-propelled howitzer MORANA, which is developed by the company EXCALIBUR ARMY. MORANA is another addition to the company’s portfolio of modern self-propelled howitzers. The official presentation was attended by the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to France Michel Fleischmann, Deputy Minister of Defence Tomáš Koperný and President of the Defence and Security Industry Association of the Czech Republic Jirí Hynek. At Eurosatory 2022, 1800 manufacturers and sellers of special equipment from more than sixty countries are exhibiting their products. The companies of the CZECHOSLOVAK GROUP (CSG) and TATRA TRUCKS present the Czech and Slovak defence industry at stand K528 in Hall 5A.
Ambassador of the Czech Republic to France Michel Fleischmann said: “A modern artillery system is a technology important not only for Czech but also for European security. The Czech Republic is one of the world’s most important providers of military aid to Ukraine and it turns out that modern artillery is crucial in defending against Russian aggression”
Deputy Minister Tomáš Kope?ný said: “We continue the tradition of the Czechoslovak defence industry, which has always belonged to important industries and exporters. To compete in the global market, we need to develop new solutions for the security of Europe and its partners. That’s why we come up with products such as the MORANA howitzer,.”
“We continue the tradition of the Czechoslovak defence industry, which has always belonged to important industries and exporters. To compete in the global market, we need to develop new solutions for the security of Europe and its partners,” explained Michal Strnad, owner of the CSG holding.
The new howitzer has a 155 mm gun with a barrel length of 52 calibers. The weapon superstructure is mounted on a circular base in the rear of the carriage, with the power unit located behind the cabin. MORANA thus combines the advantages of lightweight wheeled self-propelled artillery systems of the TMG (Truck Mounted Gun) category and heavy artillery systems on tracked chassis. The MORANA howitzer is built on the proven Tatra Force 8×8 chassis, all chassis wheels are also steerable. The howitzer has fully automatic reloading and fully automated gun guidance. The standard crew of the MORANA howitzer consists of the driver, commander and operator, who have their seats in the armoured four-door cabin produced by EXCALIBUR ARMY. The combat turret is fully controlled by the crew directly from the cabin, without having to leave it. The crew is therefore constantly protected during the movement of the howitzer and during its operation and combat deployment. The howitzer is also equipped with a remote-controlled weapon station with advanced sensory equipment and a 12.7 mm machine gun for self-protection.
CZECHOSLOVAK GROUP is a holding company building on the tradition of the Czechoslovak industry, which promotes and further develops the activities of traditional Czech and Slovak companies in the field of civil and defence industrial production. In unconsolidated financial statements of 2021, CSG reported total sales of almost 14.4 billion CZK (and 2.7 billion CZK in EBITDA) and employed over 8 200 people. The CZECHOSLOVAK GROUP is a perspective employer of more than 8200 employees both in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. EXCALIBUR ARMY designs, develops and produces a wide range of military vehicles and equipment. The company production and repair facilities have decades long tradition that reaches back to 1950s. The Koprivnice automotive maker, known under the TATRA brand, ranks among the oldest car and truck factories in the world and, with more than 170-year continuous activity we have significantly influenced the automotive industry in the Czech Republic. TATRA TRUCKS a.s. closely works with the Group companies CSG CZECHOSLOVAK GROUP and PROMET GROUP.
