Well-known in Ukraine howitzers EVA and Zuzana 2 have become the driving factor for gunsmiths from the Slovak Republic to create and market the new BIA self-propelled guns.
As notes the official portal of the weapons developer — company KONŠTRUKTA-Defence, they developed their new self-propelled gun based on the experience of international exercises within the framework of the presence of NATO troops in Latvia, as well as the use of their Zuzana 2 self-propelled gun on the battlefield in Ukraine, ArmiyaInform reports.
Work on this defense project began in 2021 based on the set requirements — the design should have the same firepower as Zuzana 2, but it should be lighter and more mobile. Compared to the EVA, the new system has a much larger firing range, greater automation and a higher level of crew protection. As you can see from the characteristics published on the network, the new BIA self-propelled gun has a combat mass (combat weight) in 27 tons and can develop a maximum speed of 90 km/h, has a range of 600 km.
Machine chassis — already familiar Tatra 6×6, with Tatra T3C-928.90 V8 engine and Allison 4500SP transmission, but at the customer's request, it can also be chassis from other manufacturers.
As experts from ICK Defense Express point out, in KONŠTRUKTA-Defence focus on the fact that one of the Slovak companies is developing for them a new chassis for the BIA self-propelled guns — in general, the company is set on the maximum participation of domestic (Slovak, ed.) companies in the project, with the exception of those situations when some or other components are not produced on the territory of the country.
As for other characteristics, the range for the new self-propelled gun armed with a 155-mm cannon with a barrel length of 52 caliber is more than 41 km with ERFB-BB ammunition and more than 50 km— long-range VLAP ammunition. The minimum range of the shot — 5 km.
At the same time, the rate of fire in automatic mode is 5 shots in the first minute, 13 shots — in three minutes. In manual — two shots per minute. Self-propelled gun ammunition — 20 ammunition.
Elevation angles of weapons are from −3.5° up to +75°. The BIA is equipped with an automatic loader, which, in fact, also ensures the rate of fire. The crew consists of 3-5 servicemen.