Slovakia May Sell Howitzers to Ukraine and Repair Vehicles Damaged In War – According to local news reports, Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad’ announced that Slovakia is currently in talks with Ukraine to sell its fleet of Zuzana 155 mm self-propelled Howitzer tank-like artillery systems.
The news comes after Slovakia provided Ukraine with an S-300 air defense system designed to protect against Russian aircraft.
Nad’ said that Kyiv and Bratislava are discussing whether or not the proposed sale would see the newer Zuzana 2 sent to Ukraine or the older Zuzana 2000 models. The number of artillery systems on the table was not confirmed.
What is the Zuzana Howitzer Artillery System?
The Zuzana Howitzer Slovak artillery system is a self-propelled vehicle with a long-range, quick rate of fire, and high accuracy. The weapon features a gun that is mounted to the top of a vehicle, with two separate areas for operators that keep them away from the turret.
The original 155 mm ShKH Zuzana was first adopted by the Slovak Army in 1988. The Zuzana 2 model featured an improved 52-caliber gun and a turret that could spin an entire 360 degrees, allowing for quicker deployment of munitions.
In 2018, the Slovak Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Konstrukta for the delivery of 25 self-propelled Howitzers for a total of 172.2 million Euros.
The Slovak government said in 2018 that orders for more Howitzers were made with the intent to increase exports of the self-propelled artillery systems.
“The implementation of this project will also increase the support for the export potential of the Slovak defense industry, thereby ensuring its competitiveness on world markets and the possible sale of this product abroad,” a government proposal document reads.
The conflict in Ukraine comes just four years after the Slovakian government expressed interest in increasing its exports of military equipment manufactured domestically.
Slovakia May Also Repair Russian-Made Tanks for Ukraine
Slovakia is also discussing the possibility of assisting Ukraine in repairing combat vehicles and tanks.
“We are also discussing the possibility of having damaged Ukrainian combat vehicles and T-72 or T-55 tanks come to our territory, and our military repair plants would repair them and send them back to Ukraine,” Nad’ said, according to Slovak news agency SITA.
Nad’ also said that the deal will “most probably happen.”
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
