ZUZANA - 155 mm Self-propelled Gun Howitzer is a modern Slovak artillery system with a 45-caliber gun

Gun

A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...

 and automatic loader for loading of both, a projectile and charge. It is an evolution of the DANA

Dana

-Singers:Some singers are popularly known only by the name, Dana:* Dana Rosemary Scallon , Irish-American singer and politician* Dana , Korean pop singer* Dana International , Israeli pop singer-In fiction:...

 152mm self-propelled howitzer.

The system features long range, high accuracy and rate of fire

Rate of fire

Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. It is usually measured in rounds per minute , or per second .-Overview:...

, prompt preparation for firing and high level of mobility ensured by a modified TATRA 8x8 chassis. Design of the gun enables to use any NATO standard 155mm ammunition

Ammunition

Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...

 available on the market

Market

A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...

. The Fire Control System enables for a Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) mode. One of the unique features of ZUZANA is that the gun is mounted externally in between two totally separated compartments of the turret

Turret

In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...

. 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

The original wheeled version adopted by the Slovak Army

Military of Slovakia

The Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic number 14,000 uniformed personnel. Slovakia joined NATO in March 2004. From 2006 the army transformed into a fully professional organization and compulsory military service was abolished.-Structure of the Armed Forces:...

 in 1998.

155 mm ShKH Zuzana 2

Updated version with a new 52-calibre gun, full 360-degree turret traverse, a new armored cab and further reduced crew of 3 enabled by automation. It has passed Slovak Army trials in december 2009.

The new version is claimed to possess Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) capability.

155 mm ShKH Himalaya

1990's adaptation of the original system to a tracked chassis required by export customers. It is essentially a Zuzana turret mounted on a T-72

T-72

The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1970. It is developed directly from Obyekt-172, and shares parallel features with the T-64A...

 chassis.
The tracked version so far did not achieve orders beyond initial evaluation units and further production is unlikely.

Technical parameters

Gun characteristic:
Caliber:	155 mm (6.10 in)
Barrel length:	45 cal (52 in Zuzana 2)
Number of ammunition carried:	40 projectiles/40 charges
Maximum range:	39.6 km (25 mi)
Minimum range:	5.6 km (3.47 mi)
Rate of fire:	6 rounds per min.
Sustained rate of fire:	5 rounds per min.
Loading of projectiles and charges:	fully automatic
Turret traverse:	±60°(360° for Zuzana 2)
Elevation/Depression:	+70°/-3,5°
General paramaters:
Crew:	4 (3 in Zuzana 2)
Chassis:	modified TATRA 8x8
Vehicle length:	12.97 meters (42.5 ft)
Vehicle width:	3,015 mm (9.89 ft)
Total height:	3,300 mm (10.82 ft)
Total weight of the system:	28,450 kg (62,721 lbs)
Maximum speed:	80+ km/h (50+ mph)
Maximum road range:	750 km (466 mi)
Overcoming of obstacles:
Trench:	2000 mm (6.56 ft)
Vertical step:	600 mm (1.96 ft)
Fording:	1400 mm (4.59 ft)

See also

• 152mm SpGH DANA
• BRAMS
  BRAMS
  BRAMS - Self-propelled Anti-aircraft System is an automated anti-aircraft system designated for destroying low flying targets using its twin barrel 30 mm gun with high rate of fire and 4 self-guided anti-aircraft missiles....
  
   self-propelled anti-aircraft system based on the same chassis
• List of artillery