| Vz. 77 DANA | |
|---|---|
.jpg) ShKH vz. 77 of Czech Army during a military exercise, 21 November 2013. | |
| Type | Self-propelled gun |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovak Socialist Republic |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1981–present |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Konštrukta Trenčín |
| Designed | 1976 |
| Manufacturer | ZTS Dubnica nad Váhom (SK) Excalibur Army (CZ) |
| Produced | 1980–present |
| No. built | 750+ |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 29.250 t (32.243 short tons) |
| Length | 11.156 m (36 ft 7.2 in) |
| Width | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 3.63 m (11 ft 11 in) (with AAMG) |
| Crew | 5 |
| Shell | HE, HEAT |
| Shell weight |
|
| Caliber | 152.4 mm (6 in) |
| Barrels | 5,580 mm (18 ft 4 in) |
| Breech | Semi-automatic, vertical sliding-wedge |
| Elevation | -4° to +70° |
| Traverse | ±220° |
| Rate of fire |
|
| Muzzle velocity | 693 m/s (2,274 ft/s) (HE) |
| Effective firing range | 18.7 km (11.6 mi) |
| Maximum firing range | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Sights |
|
Main armament | 152 mm howitzer (approx. 36.6 calibre) (60 rounds) |
Secondary armament | 12.7 mm DShK (2,000 rounds) |
| Engine | Tatra T2-930-34 253.7 kW (340.2 hp) |
| Ground clearance | 0.41 m (1 ft 4 in) |
Operational range | 600 km (370 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 80 km/h (50 mph) |
The DANA (Dělo automobilní nabíjené automaticky (gun on truck loaded automatically) 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). It was designed by Konštrukta Trenčín 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 eight-wheel drive (8×8) Tatra 815 chassis with excellent cross-country mobility. Currently it is in service with the Czech Republic, Libya, Poland, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
Compared to tracked vehicles, wheeled vehicles have the advantages of being cheaper to build and easier to maintain with greater strategic mobility. Tyre pressure can be regulated via a central tyre inflation system (CTIS) to allow good mobility off-road and there is power-assisted steering on the front four wheels.
Three hydraulic stabilisers are lowered into the ground before firing the main gun, and a roof-mounted crane is available to assist with ammunition loading.
The crew of the DANA consists of a driver (who operates the hydraulic stabilisers), the commander sitting in the front cabin, the gunner (aims the gun and opens fire) and loader operator (selects the appropriate amount of powder charges) are on the left side of the turret, the ammo handler (sets the shells' primers) is on the right side of the turret.
Original DANA had manual fire control and automatic reloader. The latest version, DANA M2, also has computerised automatic fire control, allowing reduction of crew to as few as only two.