Artillery

Zuzana 2

Also known as
  • SpGH Zuzana 2

Zuzana 2 is a Slovak 155 mm/52-caliber wheeled self-propelled howitzer built around an automated loading system and a Tatra 8x8 chassis. Its NATO-standard ammunition, long-range indirect-fire role, and documented deliveries to Ukraine make it one of the clearest examples of Slovakia's modern artillery export reaching the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

Zuzana 2, 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer, Artillery
Image source: Slovak Ground Forces Zuzana 2 first time outside Slovakia

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Slovakia
Type
155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer
Service note
2010s-present; supplied to Ukraine during the full-scale 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Designer
Konstrukta-Defence
Designed
2000s development; Slovak trials completed before domestic procurement
Unit cost
About EUR 5.75 million reported for 2022 Ukrainian orders
Produced
2019-present
Number built
Limited production; at least 24 ordered or funded for Ukraine by 2023 reporting

Specifications

Caliber
155 mm, 52-caliber barrel
Maximum range
More than 50 km with VLAP ammunition; more than 41 km with ERFB-BB shells
Rate of fire
5 rounds in the first minute or 13 rounds in 3 minutes in automatic mode
Ammunition carried
40 projectiles and 40 charges
Crew
4
Combat weight
33,800 kg
Mobility
Tatra 8x8 chassis; 90 km/h road speed; 325 kW Tatra T3D-928 engine
Design Notes

The manufacturer's own project page highlights the features that separate Zuzana 2 from a generic truck-mounted gun: an automatic loader, a protected four-person crew, and a Tatra 8x8 chassis built for both road mobility and long-range fire support.

FeatureDocumented detail
ChassisFour-axle Tatra chassis with central tire inflation
LoadingAutomatic loading of projectiles and charges
Ammunition stowage40 projectiles and 40 charges
Range driversMore than 50 km with VLAP ammunition and more than 41 km with ERFB-BB shells
Variants
  • 155 mm SpGH Zuzana 2
Ammunition

KONŠTRUKTA describes Zuzana 2 as a 155 mm system that uses NATO-standard ammunition and also highlights VLAP rounds for extended range.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
155 mm NATO ammunition, 155 mm NATO-standard artillery ammunition family for 39-, 45-, and 52-caliber howitzers, Munitions155 mm NATO ammunition155 mm NATO ammunition

The manufacturer lists Zuzana 2 as a 155 mm platform designed around NATO-standard ammunition.

Sources: ZUZANA 2

M2005 V-LAP 155 mm shell, 155 mm rocket-assisted base-bleed shell, MunitionsM2005 V-LAP 155 mm shellRange-extending shell

KONŠTRUKTA cites more than 50 km of range when Zuzana 2 fires VLAP ammunition.

Sources: ZUZANA 2

Timeline

Zuzana 2 Key Events

  1. Ukraine contract signed

    Slovakia signed a contract to deliver eight Zuzana 2 howitzers to Ukraine.

    Sources: Contract for delivery of Zuzana 2 howitzers to Ukraine signed

  2. First batch delivered

    The Slovak Ministry of Defence said Ukraine had taken delivery of the first batch of ordered Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzer guns.

    Sources: Ukraine receives the first batch of Slovakia's Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzer guns

  3. Initial battery completed

    The Slovak Ministry of Defence reported that Ukraine had taken over the eighth Slovak-made Zuzana 2, completing the initial battery under the original contract.

    Sources: Slovakia fulfils its contract with Ukraine by delivering an entire Zuzana 2 howitzer battery to Ukrainian Armed Forces

Media

Zuzana 2 Videos

Zuzana 2 Images

Zuzana 2, 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer, Artillery - view 1
Source: ShKH Suzana at SIAF-2022
Related Weapon Systems
2S43 Malva, 152 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery2S43 Malva152 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzerThe 2S43 Malva is a Russian 152 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer that places a 2A64 gun on a BAZ 8x8 chassis for faster road moves and lower operating demands than tracked turreted artillery. Developed through the Nabrosok wheeled-artillery program, it entered Russian deliveries in 2023 and has since been documented with Russian forces in Ukraine, including reconnaissance sightings, Ukrainian strike reports, and visually confirmed losses.
152 mm SpGH DANA, 152 mm wheeled self-propelled gun-howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery152 mm SpGH DANA152 mm wheeled self-propelled gun-howitzerThe 152 mm SpGH DANA is a Czechoslovak wheeled self-propelled gun-howitzer built around a Tatra 8x8 chassis, a semi-automatic loading system, and a 152 mm gun compatible with Soviet-pattern ammunition. The family appears in several post-Soviet and coalition conflicts: Georgian DANA guns were documented in the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, Polish DANA crews fired in Afghanistan, Azerbaijani DANA M1 systems were reported in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting, and Czech-supplied DANA and DANA M2 howitzers later gave Ukrainian forces mobile 152 mm artillery during the full-scale Russian invasion.
AHS Krab, 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryArtilleryAHS Krab155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe AHS Krab is a Polish 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer built by Huta Stalowa Wola around a NATO-standard 52-caliber gun, an AS-90 Braveheart turret lineage, a K9-derived tracked chassis, and the TOPAZ fire-control ecosystem. In Ukrainian service it gives artillery units a mobile Western-caliber gun able to fire standard and precision 155 mm ammunition, displace after missions, and operate in counter-battery-threatened sectors of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
2S22 Bohdana, 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery2S22 Bohdana155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzerThe 2S22 Bohdana is Ukraine's domestic NATO-standard 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer family, developed around truck-mounted mobility, 155 mm ammunition compatibility, and rapid wartime production. It moved from a scarce prototype used against Russian positions on Snake Island into a family of front-line 6x6 and 8x8 systems, with a towed Bohdana-B/2P22 Bohdana-BG counterpart, foreign financing, and domestic production growth expanding the fleet.
2S34 Chosta, 120 mm tracked self-propelled gun-mortar, ArtilleryArtillery2S34 Chosta120 mm tracked self-propelled gun-mortarThe 2S34 Chosta is a Russian 120 mm tracked self-propelled gun-mortar that rebuilds the 2S1 Gvozdika chassis around the 2A80-1 weapon, an automatic loading system, and updated fire-control equipment. It gives Russian artillery units a compact turreted vehicle able to fire mortar-style high-angle missions, direct fire, and some guided 120 mm ammunition, but public reporting suggests only a small fleet reached service before examples appeared in Ukraine.

Sources

ZUZANA 2Publisher: Konstrukta-Defence | Note: Manufacturer project page supporting system background, builder, automatic loading, crew, mobility, ammunition carriage, and range/rate-of-fire specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Ukraine receives the first batch of Slovakia's Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzer gunsPublisher: Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War source documenting Zuzana 2 howitzers delivered to Ukraine on 13 August 2022. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Contract for delivery of Zuzana 2 howitzers to Ukraine signedPublisher: Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War source documenting Zuzana 2 self-propelled gun howitzers transferred to Ukraine under Slovakia's commercial delivery contract. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Slovakia fulfils its contract with Ukraine by delivering an entire Zuzana 2 howitzer battery to Ukrainian Armed ForcesPublisher: Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War source documenting Zuzana 2 howitzers delivered to Ukraine as the initial battery was completed. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Ukraine conflict: Slovakia hands over two Zuzana 2 SPHs to KyivPublisher: Janes | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War source documenting Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzers delivered to Ukraine, including donor-funded deliveries and the completed initial eight-gun contract. | Accessed: 2026-06-19ShKH Suzana at SIAF-2022Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for a reusable Commons file showing a Zuzana 2 display at the 2022 Slovak International Air Fest. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Ukraine interested in more Zuzana 2 howitzersPublisher: CZDEFENCE | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War source documenting Zuzana 2 self-propelled wheeled howitzers used by Ukrainian forces in combat after Slovakia delivered the initial eight guns. | Accessed: 2026-06-20AKO strieľa nová "Zuzana 2" ? | Azimut 24/7 - 39. | Ozbrojené sily SRPublisher: YouTube | Note: Official Slovak Armed Forces video showing Zuzana 2 firing during the service's Azimut 24/7 series. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Slovak Ground Forces Zuzana 2 first time outside SlovakiaPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for a public-domain U.S. Army photograph of a Slovak Ground Forces Zuzana 2 firing during a NATO exercise. | Accessed: 2026-06-19