SVK - BIA (155mm samohybná kanónová houfnice)

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The 155mm ShKH BIA project follows the 155mm ShKH ZUZANA and 155mm ShKH EVA development series. The development of the 155 mm ShKH BIA can be scheduled to start in 2021. The need for development was driven by the requirements of our business partners, while the 155 mm ShKH BIA project has already applied lessons learned from the deployment of the 155 mm ShKH ZUZANA 2 in Ukraine and in an international exercise as part of the NATO Forward Presence in Latvia.


The cost of the development is subject to commercial confidentiality and therefore we will not comment on it.


The 155 mm ShKH BIA project aimed to combine the advantages of the 155 mm ZUZANA 2 and 155 mm ShKH EVA into one compact artillery system. The BIA project has brought together the individual needs and requirements of potential users, with whom we are in close communication:



155 mm armament with the required technical parameters: range, rate of fire and direct-fire ammunition supply high mobility and traversability lighter weight crew protection automation of combat operations So, compared to the 155 mm ShKH ZUZANA 2, the BIA is lighter, more mobile with higher throughput while maintaining the same firepower and other parameters, and compared to the 155 mm ShKH EVA, the BIA carries a larger ammunition supply, has higher crew protection, and also has combat automation.



Currently, the 155 mm ShKH BIA uses the latest chassis line from the original chassis supplier for the howitzer type ZUZANA 2, but based on requests from potential users, work is underway to place the 155 mm weapon system on a chassis from other manufacturers. We won't specify potential new chassis suppliers due to trade secrets, but we can state that one of the manufacturers is a purely Slovakian company that is designing a bespoke chassis to our requirements. Overall, in the BIA project we are interested in involving as many Slovak manufacturers as possible and thus supporting the Slovak defence industry, but there are components that are simply not produced in Slovakia. We can mention companies from MATADOR GROUP as an important manufacturer and supplier, which directly participated in the development of the design.



At the DSEI exhibition in London we are presenting a prototype 155 mm ShKH BIA with a fully functional weapon system, which has already completed its first firing. In October, we will present the 155 mm ShKH BIA at the IDEB 2023 international exhibition in Bratislava. Subsequently, company trials will be conducted with the aim that the 155 mm ShKH BIA can be provided for user (military) trials to the country of a potential customer in 2024. At the same time, we are of course interested in offering and introducing the 155 mm ShKH BIA into the armament of the Slovak Armed Forces

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After Susan 2 and Eve comes BIA
On 11 September, the Slovak company KONŠTRUKTA - Defence (part of the holding DMD Group) publicly presented the 155 mm artillery system BIA (Battle International Artillery) for the first time ever on social networks.The novelty is a combination of the best solutions of self-propelled gun howitzers ZUZANA 2 and EVA with 52-caliber long barrels, and its tactical-technical parameters fall between these products.


The BIA has been developed since 2021 based on the requirements of foreign customers, with the evolution incorporating combat experience from the deployment of ZUZANA 2 howitzers in the conflict in Ukraine, or from their participation in NATO international exercises. Similarly to Eva, this is a TMG (Truck Mounted Gun) system using the chassis of conventional trucks with high throughput. The main modifications and improvements are to the gun body. Compared to the Eve, the BIA is to feature a reloading capacity increased from 12 to 20 rounds with a corresponding number of propelling cartridges and improved crew protection. Its main advantages over the more expensive ZUZANA 2 system, with 40 ready-to-fire ammunition, are again to be higher mobility and lower combat weight of 27 t versus 33.8 t. By comparison, the Eve in 6×6 configuration weighs 22 t, and in the newer Eve 8×8 version it is 28 t.


The first prototype is based on the proven 6×6 chassis Tatra 815-7 with an armoured cab by Czech company Tatra Defence Vehicle, also used on the Eve 8×8. However, based on the requirements of potential foreign customers, KONSTRUKTA - Defence is also planning to integrate chassis from other manufacturers. Slovak companies are to be involved in the project as much as possible in order to support the domestic defence industry. Initial test firings of the BIA system have already taken place and, once more have been carried out, the prototype should be sent to one of the potential customers for testing next year. If the development is successfully completed, an unspecified foreign customer could order at least 24 examples. CONSTRUCT - Defence intends to offer its new artillery system to the domestic armed forces.


A prototype BIA gun howitzer with a fully functional weapon system has made its world premiere at the prestigious DSEI 2023 defence trade fair, which takes place from today to 15 September in London. It will then also be on display at the IDEB 2023 exhibition in Bratislava, which will take place from 3 to 5 October.
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