Defence Minister Naď: KONŠTRUKTA - Defence will produce an additional 16 howitzers for Ukraine

State-run joint stock company KONŠTRUKTA - Defence will produce an additional 16 155mm Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzer (SPH) gun systems for Ukraine to defend itself against the Russian Federation's aggression. The production of the new Zuzana 2 artillery systems will be jointly funded by the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Kingdom of Norway, which have set aside €92m to spend on the artillery systems.

This announcement was made by Danish Defence Minister Morten Bødsko and Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď at a press conference at the Citadel (Kastellet) in Copenhagen, Denmark, where today (Sunday 2 October 2022) both ministers signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to confirm this intention.

Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “In defending its country and lives, Ukraine needs our help, which is why even at the international level we are trying to explore all options available to make sure our support for Ukraine is effective and targeted to its requirements.” He added that field artillery systems are a key Combat Support (CS) element in the theatre of operations.

Under the contract, 16 Zuzana 2 SPHs will be built and supplied to Ukraine, with delivery set to begin from the second half of 2023. Based on another commercial contract concluded earlier in June 2022, Slovakia has already delivered four out of the eight ordered Zuzana 2 self-propelled guns to Ukraine.