Eva M2 Will Replace Zuzana 2 in Production

The latest Eva M2 self-propelled wheeled artillery system will replace the Zuzana 2 howitzer in production in Slovakia.

Martin Martiš, editor-in-chief of Future Army, shared this in a commentary for Militarnyi.

At the same time, he noted that the end of the Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzer production has not yet been officially confirmed.

However, according to media reports and sources in military circles, the current batch of Zuzana 2 will be the last, with production expected to be completed next year.

“It’s worth noting that the current Defense Minister Robert Kalyniak has said in the past that newer self-propelled gun designs are better and more promising than Zuzana. He referred to the Eva M2 howitzer (formerly known as Bia), which is lighter and more mobile than the Zuzana,” Martiš says.

Currently, designers are working to reduce the weight even further, aiming to make the Eva M2 weigh under 25 tons, while the Zuzana 2 will weigh between 32 and 34 tons.

“But the key difference is that the gun operator sits in the front cab of the Eva M2. Whereas in Zuzana 2, the gun operator sits in the turret next to the ammunition, and his position is very vulnerable, for example, during a drone strike,” the editor-in-chief of Future Army noted.

According to him, this is the main reason for the transfer of production from Zuzana 2 to newer types of self-propelled artillery systems. At the same time, the Slovak Defense Minister hinted that the state-owned Konštrukta Defense is developing an even lighter howitzer than the Eva M2.

The first version of the Zuzana self-propelled artillery system was developed in the 1990s, and its serial production launched in 1998. It was based on the Czechoslovakian 152-mm Dana self-propelled howitzer. They are used by the Slovak Armed Forces (16 units) and the Cyprus National Guard (12 units), which were delivered through Greece.

“The Zuzana 2 prototype was built in 2008. The vehicle has a new 155-mm L/52 cannon and only one seat in the front cabin. It is also better protected. Users are the Slovak Armed Forces and Ukraine. The Zuzana 2 has been offered to several countries, but without success. The last time this vehicle was offered to Brazil,” Martin Martiš noted.

Eva M2 self-propelled artillery system

The Slovakian company Konstrukta Defense presented the 155-mm Bia self-propelled howitzer, now known as the Eva M2, in September 2023. It is mounted on a Tatra T815-7 chassis with a 6×6 wheel configuration and is a development of the EVA and Zuzana 2 artillery systems. In the basic version, the cab armor protects the crew from small arms fire of up to 7.62 mm caliber and artillery shell fragments.

The self-propelled artillery system is equipped with a 52-caliber 155-mm barrel. The maximum range of fire is 40-50 km, depending on the type of projectile used. The automatic loading system provides a rate of fire of 5 shots in the first minute and 13 shots in the next three minutes. In October 2024, it was announced that the Malaysian military leadership had selected the Bia artillery system as the winner of the tender.