On August 1, 2023, Konstrukta Defence, a Slovak defense company and subsidiary of the state-owned DMD Group, successfully delivered two battle-proven Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. These cutting-edge 155mm howitzers mark the initial shipment under the contract signed in October 2022 for a total of 16 such self-propelled Howitzer. The agreement for the 16 Zuzana 2 self-propelled artillery systems was made possible through joint funding from Germany, Denmark, and Norway. The decision to provide military support to Ukraine stemmed from the Copenhagen Ukraine Donor Conference held on August 11, 2022, where key allies and international partners recognized the importance of bolstering Ukraine’s defense capabilities in the wake of Russia’s illegal invasion.
In line with this commitment, Norway, Germany, and Denmark intend to finance a donation of Slovak-made a self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine, totaling €92.000.000, subject to pending legislative and budgetary approvals. Previously, in 2022, Konstrukta Defence had already delivered eight Zuzana 2 howitzers to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which have since been actively utilized during defense operations against the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, it has been reported that at least one of these howitzers was destroyed by Russian forces. The Armed Forces of Ukraine has found the Zuzana 2 howitzer to be highly effective in real military operations. Officers from the Ukrainian Armed Forces have praised the system for its exceptional accuracy, efficiency, and mobility on the frontlines.
Zuzana 155 mm self-propelled howitzer is a Slovak artillery system developed by KONŠTRUKTA-Defence, with a 45-caliber gun and automatic loader for loading of both projectile and charge. It is an evolution of the 152mm SpGH DANA self-propelled howitzer. The gun has a long range high accuracy and high rate of fire, it can be prepared promptly for firing, and it has a high level of mobility ensured by a modified Tatra 8×8 chassis. One of the unique features of Zuzana is that the gun is mounted externally in between two totally separated compartments of the turret. This makes the crew inherently safe from any potentially dangerous mechanics of the gun and autoloader plus the crew is protected from the gases generated during firing.
155 mm ShKH Zuzana 2 is an updated version with a new 52-calibre gun, full 360-degree turret traverse and a new armored cab. It has passed Slovak Army trials in December 2009. Slovak army had ordered 25 vehicles (to be delivered in year 2021 and 2022). The weapon is stabilised in a fire post with weapon supports fitted to the chassis. The weapon is equipped with the inertial navigation equipment and muzzle velocity radar. The new version is claimed to possess Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) capability. MRSI has a few prerequisites. The 155mm ZUZANA 2 SpGH is equipped with M2HB-QCB Browning 0.50 inch machine gun for air defense and direct protection. Alternatively the NSV 12.7 mm machine gun can be used. To protect against armor technology threat there is the RPG-75 AT carried in the weapon.
