According to information published on the Polish News website "TVP World" on February 15, 2023, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced during a press conference, that the Polish army ordered 48 additional Krab 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzers. Due to this new order and the contract signed with Ukraine, the Polish Defense industry will increase production of the local-made KRAB, a 155mm self-propelled howitzer based on tracked armored produced by the Polish company HSW (Huta Stalowa Wola) in cooperation with BAE Systems and OBRUM.
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Polish army 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer. (Picture source Army Recognition)
On July 24, 2022, the Army Recognition editorial team reported that Poland signed an agreement with Ukraine for the delivery of 60 KRAB 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzers for an amount of €650 million. Currently, Poland has already delivered to Ukraine 18 Krab self-propelled howitzers.
During the latest edition of MSPO, International Defense Exhibition in Poland, the Polish Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak signed the approval of a long-term contract between the Polish Armaments Agency and Huta Stalowa Wola SA for the delivery of two more Regina fire modules including 48 Krab 155mm self-propelled howitzers.
Poland delivered 18 Krab howitzers to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, during the first phase of the defensive war effort Ukraine began to push away the Russians. The Ukrainian artillerymen claim that Krab is fast and lethal, also providing the crews with high levels of comfort. Compared to the Soviet-made self-propelled artillery systems, Krab is a modern solution that can be effectively employed against the Russian forces.
The Krab is Polish-made 155mm self-propelled howitzer was fully designed and developed in Poland by Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) in cooperation with BAE Systems and the Polish company OBRUM. The first prototype of the Krab was completed in 2011 and it entered into service with the Polish army in 2012.
The Krab is based on tracked chassis fitted with the turret of the British AS90 (Braveheart) 155 mm self-propelled gun. The turret is mounted at the rear of the tracked chassis. It has a crew of five including the driver seated at the front left side of the hull and four crew members are located in the turret.
The Krab is armed with one 155mm 52 caliber designed and manufactured by BAE Systems. The gun can fire all standard 155mm NATO projectiles with a range from 4.7 to 40 km. An automated loading system enables the gun to fire with a burst rate of three rounds in fewer than ten seconds, an intense rate of six rounds a minute for three minutes, and a sustained rate of two rounds a minute. The vehicle can carry a total of 40 shells and 48 charges, with 29 rounds in the turret and 11 in the chassis.
