Artillery plays a key role in the war in Ukraine, as we have seen in many cases from available reports. In support of the invaded country, last November the Ukrainian army received the first brand new Czech self-propelled 155 mm DITA howitzers. This order was completed in a record time of just nine months. This in itself is an extraordinary feat, but what is even more important is the allegedly excellent performance that this howitzer has been reported by its users to perform in live fire.
The howitzers were handed over to the artillerymen of the Azov Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard in November and immediately deployed to the front to fight the Russian invasion forces. The nine guns were ordered in February 2024 from Excalibur Army, the Sternberg company that developed and manufactures them, by the Dutch government, which provided funding for their production as part of its support to the defending Ukraine. A further order came in during October; and if the success of the first order can be repeated, delivery can be expected during the summer of this year. In total, 16 howitzers are expected to be delivered. Speed and reliability of delivery is crucial at critical moments for the Ukrainian defenders.
Picture: According to the testimony of its users, the DITA howitzer performs well in live fire | Azov Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard
DITA is a comprehensive weapon system fully comparable to its direct and indirect competitors on the market. If it was delivered in nine months from the signing of the contract, then when compared to the French delivery time for CAESAR guns (15-30 months) or the German delivery time for RCH155 howitzers on the Boxer platform (over two years), it is indeed a significant success and a confirmation of the Czech defence industry's operational capability, even in challenging conditions of increased demand or reverberations of the COVID pandemic in the subcontracting chain.
Similar to the RCH155, and unlike the CAESARs, the DITA is fitted with a tankless turret. The level of automation is very high, which brings two major advantages not only for the Ukrainian army. The entire system is operated by only two soldiers and is therefore disproportionately less demanding in terms of training and crew/operator training. This goes hand in hand with a fundamentally lower risk in the event of losses. Automated systems naturally have their limitations, not only in the armed forces, and the risk lies in the failure of the technology. For this case, DITA howitzers can be deployed using manual control in all respects, where a third operator is then required.
Ukraine, as in the case of other systems of Western provenance, is the first user, which in feedback can provide the manufacturer with very valuable information that can be capitalized on in further development and also in work on related means - in the case of Excalibur Army especially on the younger but more powerful "sister" of the DITA howitzer, the self-propelled MORANA howitzer.
With standard 155 mm calibre ammunition, the DITA cannon of 47 calibre hits its targets at a range of up to 39 km, with six shots per minute, a carried ammunition supply of 40 rounds and the now indispensable MRSI capability, i.e. the simultaneous impact of multiple rounds on a target, which has devastating effects on the enemy, both material and moral. Thanks to the full automation of firing and a suitably designed chassis platform using progressive elements from the Tatra lance, the howitzer can also leave the firing position within 45 seconds of the last shot, effectively preventing its own casualties from enemy retaliatory fire. The platform is a Tatra 8x8 capable of developing a top speed of 25 km/h in rough terrain or up to 90 km/h on paved roads, with an operating range of up to 600 km.
The first comprehensive and very friendly review of the DITA self-propelled howitzer was published by the Azov gunners at the beginning of this January. In the video, they say that the arrival of the Czech DITA systems has been a significant boost to the Azov Brigade's artillery capabilities. With a range of 39 km, they can engage more distant targets than before, while in many cases being out of range of enemy systems of comparable category. Until now, only towed guns were in the unit's arsenal, which have obvious disadvantages against self-propelled systems - in the first place, much more difficult mobility and slower clearance of their own firing position. They are also more difficult to operate.
DITA's electronic howitzer systems provide important benefits to artillerymen; from a Ukrainian perspective, and not always a given with Western military aid, the Ukrainian language support is invaluable, again greatly facilitating training and deployment of the system in the environment. For example, the system can operate in a GPS denied environment. The on-board computer essentially takes over all the necessary manipulations, while the commander merely enters the target data.
The Azov Brigade artillerymen confirm the words of the manufacturer from its website, "The DITA 155 mm self-propelled howitzer is a new modern artillery weapon using standard NATO 155 mm calibre ammunition. It is based on the original Czechoslovak concept of howitzers on Tatra chassis, but takes operational autonomy to a new level. It is equipped with a modern fire control system and allows very rapid entry and exit of firing positions, is accurate and has excellent penetration over difficult terrain." DITA is a good example of a job well done - and it is now up to the user to continue to deploy it in an effective manner.
Picture: On-board electronics of the DITA howitzer provides the crew with a number of data | Azov Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard
It is necessary to mention one more fact to which we have already paid attention in the past. In discussions in the Czech Republic, there is sometimes a complaint that the Czech Army should have chosen a different solution than the French CAESAR self-propelled guns, when the new howitzers produced by the Excalibur Army are cited as an example. However, it must be perceived that at the time when the decision on new armament was made, and rather belatedly with regard to the need to rearm the 13th Artillery Regiment, these solutions were in the development phase. Ukraine is in a very different situation today. And besides, CAESAR self-propelled guns are also in Ukraine's arsenal, in greater numbers (some on 6x6 chassis, some on Tatra 8x8) and for a longer period of time than the DITA system. And they are also evaluated very positively by Ukrainians. There has been some criticism of their vulnerability, but it always depends on the circumstances, deployment and support. The efficiency and high accuracy of the CAESARs is highlighted; and in the Tatra 8x8 chassis version, this is complemented by excellent mobility. Compared to the DITA howitzers, they have the advantage of a longer barrel - an advantage which is offset by the new MORANA howitzer, but this has not yet been deployed and its development is ongoing.
