First Korean Chassis for Polish Krab 155 mm self-propelled howitzer sent to Poland 32906152.

Samsung Techwin signed a contract on December 2014 with Poland’s state-funded defense manufacturer HSW. The contract is valued at roughly US $320 million, according to the officials.

It is the second export of the K-9 Thunder self-propelled 155mm howitzer after a deal with Turkey in 2001. Under the $1 billion license agreement, the first eight K-9s were produced in South Korea, while the remaining batch of more than 300 units was built in Turkey. The Turkish variant is called the T-155 Firtina.

Samsung Techwin signed the same type of license agreement with Poland, according to a DAPA spokesman. “Samsung Techwin will produce the first 24 units here before 2018, and after that, HSW is to build the remaining 96 units,” the spokesman said.

The K-9 was developed in 1998 as a replacement for the K55 self-propelled howitzer, a variant of the M109. Fitted with an automatic fire-control system, the artillery has a maximum rate of fire of 6 rounds per minute and is capable of multiple-round simultaneous-impact firing. It has a firing range of 40 kilometers.

The vehicle is powered by a German MTU MT 881 Ka-500 diesel engine, developing 1,000 horsepower and is fitted with a AS-90M Braveheart turret with 155 mm/52-calibre gun and WB Electronics "Topaz" artillery fire control system.

In the future, HSW plans to use South Korean chassis to develop on their basis not only carriers for artillery system, but also other specialized vehicles, such as bridgelayers.