The Netherlands has ordered six Dita self-propelled artillery units from the Czech company Excalibur Army for delivery to Ukraine. This information was disclosed by the Dutch Ministry of Defense, though the exact production and delivery timelines for the promised weapons remain unknown.
This order builds upon a previous purchase of nine self-propelled artillery systems made in February 2024. As a result, Ukraine’s Armed Forces will receive up to 15 of these 155-mm howitzers, which are notable for their high degree of automation. The Dita requires only two crew members, and its 47-caliber barrel allows for a firing range of up to 39 km.
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This delivery is significant, as it addresses concerns about a potential shortage of barrels for Ukraine's self-propelled howitzers. In May, a controversy in Slovakia suggested that barrels meant for Ukrainian howitzers were being diverted for production in Azerbaijan. The barrels for both the Dita and the Zuzana 2, another howitzer ordered by Ukraine’s allies, are produced by Slovakia’s ZTS Special.
Had there been any issues, the Netherlands would not have placed additional orders with Excalibur Army. This also indicates that the Czech company’s production capacity is sufficient to meet this new contract for Ukraine and fulfill a large order of 70 units for Azerbaijan simultaneously.
Furthermore, Denmark and the Netherlands are continuing the Czech initiative for purchasing 155-mm and 152-mm shells. Considering that Amsterdam is investing €271 million in Dita howitzers and ammunition, this means over €200 million will be allocated for ammunition alone. While the exact cost of the Dita wheeled howitzers is unknown, this estimate implies a significant investment in munitions.
If over €200 million is spent solely on ammunition, it could result in approximately 45,000 rounds, based on the price of German 155-mm shells as of June 2024. Alternatively, using the disclosed data from Czechoslovak Group, which supplies rounds at €3,200 per shell, the total could amount to over 62,500 rounds. However, the cost of Czech-made ammunition may vary.
As for delivery timelines, the Dita howitzers are expected to arrive in Ukraine by 2025. The first batch of 180,000 rounds under the Czech initiative has been gradually delivered to Ukraine since June 2024.
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