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Artillery & MLRS

Czech Republic

Excalibur Army

DANA

A Czechoslovak-developed wheeled self-propelled howitzer, one of the first wheeled self-propelled artillery pieces of its era, built on a Tatra 8x8 truck chassis with an armored, autoloaded turret. Modernized descendants including the DANA-M2 and CAESAR-competing SVB Zuzana continue to be produced in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

In service since 1981 · 6 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km/h

600

km range

152

mm gun

29,250

Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

National export licensing

Subject to Czech Republic export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Established · 6 operators

In service since 1981. Status: active · ~750 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.	80 km/h Stronger than 63% of artillery systems
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.	600 km Stronger than 69% of artillery systems
Rate of fire Rounds per minute (cyclic). Higher increases suppression and hit probability.	3 rpm Stronger than 14% of artillery systems

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.	152 mm howitzer
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters.	152 mm
Max firing range Maximum range of the main gun or rocket artillery (with assisted/extended-range munitions where noted). Higher extends reach.	20 km Stronger than 16% of artillery systems

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.	29,250 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.	5

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion specifications
Engine Powerplant model and type.	Tatra T2-930 diesel
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.	345 hp Stronger than 13% of artillery systems
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…	Wheeled 8x8 truck chassis, diesel

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	750 Stronger than 64% of artillery systems
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	6 Stronger than 60% of artillery systems

Specifications compiled from public Excalibur Army and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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