The Dana is a wheeled 152mm self-propelled howitzer of Czechoslovak origin. The Dana was developed in the 1970's and was accepted for service in 1981. Dana is an abbreviation that stands for D?lo Automobilní Nabíjené Automaticky, which translates to self-propelled auto-loading gun. In Czech service it is known as the Samohybná Kanónová Húfnica (ShKH) vzor 77, or self-propelled gun howitzer model 77.

The Dana is based on the Tatra T815 truck. The driver's cab is mounted at the front, the turret in the middle and the engine at the rear. The turret is consists of two parts with the ordnance mounted in between. Three jacks are lowered to provide a stable firing platform. The crew of five consists of a commander, driver, gunner and two loaders.

The Dana is armed with a 37-caliber 152mm howitzer that fires the same type of ammunition as the Russian 2S3 Akatsiysa. With standard ammunition a range of 18.7km is achieved and base bleed rounds can be used out to 28.2km. The fully automatic loading system results in a maximum rate of fire of 5 rounds per minute. A total of 60 rounds are carried in the vehicle. The Zuzana variant uses a 45-caliber 155mm ordnance and therefore has an increased range. A 12.7mm NSV heavy machine gun is fitted on the turret roof for self-defense.

The Dana is operated from under full armor protection. The steel hull protects the crew from small arms fire and shell splinters. An NBC system is standard.

The Dana has a good cross country performance due to its 8x8 chassis. Only in the toughest terrain it loses out to tracked designs. The wheeled chassis also gives the Dana a high road speed. A Tatra 345hp diesel engine provides propulsion.

The Dana is used by a few Eastern European nations and was exported to Libya. The Zuzana is used by Cyprus and Slovakia. In total well over 800 units have been produced. Most units remain in service today.