Ukraine may surpass all EU countries in self-propelled howitzer production

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned these production figures during the opening of the Second International Forum of Defense Industries. He emphasized that these rates can be compared to existing production levels in Europe, noting that 180-240 units per year is a significant achievement.

Ukrainian media and consulting company Defense Express analyzed the production of self-propelled howitzers by European countries.

As noted by Defense Express, in Europe, the largest manufacturer of air defense systems is the French company Nexter, which produces the Caesar artillery system. As of April this year, Nexter's production capacity was 6 units per month, but the company plans to double that figure to 12 units per month, though no specific timeline has been announced.

In addition to Nexter, the only other EU producer of self-propelled howitzers is the Czech Republic, which manufactures the Dana 2 and Dita systems from Excalibur Army, along with Slovakia's Zuzana 2 from Konštrukta-Defense. The RCH-155 from the German company KNDS, currently producing the PzH-2000 tracked systems, is also in development.

Details on the production capabilities of these self-propelled howitzers were not disclosed. Defense Express provides some illustrative supply figures. А contract for 10 PzH-2000 units with the Bundeswehr was signed in March 2023, with production scheduled to continue until 2026.

According to the publication, Ukraine has ordered a total of 24 Zuzana 2 units - 8 in June 2022 and 16 more in October 2022 from Denmark, Norway, and Germany. The first two units from this second contract were delivered in July 2023, and as of May 2024, the contract is still in progress. Additionally, a 2018 contract with the Slovak army for 25 units is also being fulfilled.

Excalibur Army’s total capacity for producing self-propelled howitzers is highlighted by the delivery of Dana-M2 systems, 26 units of which Ukraine ordered before the full-scale war. Production began in 2020, and as of January 2024, Prague had included all ordered Dana-M2s on the list of weapons received by Ukraine, even though their delivery might have been completed earlier.

For the Dita system, the current order book includes 70 units for Azerbaijan and 9 units for the Netherlands, ordered in February 2024 for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, no delivery dates have been provided.

“Due to the lack of publicly available data, we can't say with 100% certainty that Ukraine is leading all EU countries in the production of self-propelled artillery systems, but it certainly appears that way,” Defense Express noted.

• Soldiers with Ukraine's 24th Brigade demonstrated the effective operation of rocket artillery against the invading Russian forces.