ðə dˈeɪnə wʌz dɪzˈaɪnd ɪnðə lˈeɪt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti z baɪ kˈɑːnʃtɹʌktə tɹˈɛntʃɪn tə pɹəvˈaɪd ðə tʃˈɛkəslˌʌvæk pˈiːpəlz ˈɑːɹmi wɪð ɐn ɪndˈɪdʒənəs sˈɛlfpɹəpˈɛld ˌɪndɚɹˈɛkt fˈaɪɚ səpˈoːɹt wˈɛpən wɪðˌaʊt hˌævɪŋ tə ɹᵻzˈɔːɹt tə pˈɜːtʃɪsɪŋ ðə sˈoʊviət tˈuː z θɹˈiː ˈækɐtsˌɪjə ˌɛspˌiːdʒˈiː.
The DANA was designed in the late 1970s by Konštrukta Trenčín to provide the Czechoslovak People's Army with an indigenous self-propelled indirect fire support weapon without having to resort to purchasing the Soviet 2S3 Akatsiya SPG.