MSPO 2020: Poland and UK to market Polish-made Krab 155mm self-propelled howitzer.

According to information released by the Polish defense website Defense 24, on September 10, 2020, Polish Company HSW (Huta Stalowa Wola) and BAE Systems from the United Kingdom will sign a memorandum of understanding to market the Krab a Polish-made 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer.

Polish army Krab 155mm tracked armored self-propelled howitzer at MSPO 2020 defense exhibition in Poland. September 8, 2020. (Picture source Targi Kielce)

The new memorandum of understanding will be signed soon, providing a new collaboration between Polish Company HSW and British company BAE Systems to offer new export opportunities for the Polish-made 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer Krab.

The Krab is the latest generation of 155mm self-propelled howitzer manufactured by the Polish company Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) in cooperation with BAE Systems and OBRUM. The Krab is based on the South Korean self-propelled howitzer K9 chassis fitted with the turret of the British AS90 (Braveheart) self-propelled howitzer.

The Polish Company Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) has signed a contract for the delivery of artillery vehicles to the Polish Army for a total amount of €1 billion including 24 Krab 155mm self-propelled howitzer armored vehicles. At the end of June 2019, a batch of series manufactured Krab 155mm self-propelled howitzers has been introduced into the inventory of the Sulechów-based 5th “Lubuski” Artillery Regiment of the Polish army.

The KRAB 155mm self-propelled howitzer is 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. Turret traverse is through a full continuous 360º and weapon elevation is from -3.5° to +70º. s. 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.

The Krab is powered an MTU MT 881 Ka-500 water-cooled diesel developing 1,000 hp at 2,700 rpm coupled to an Allison Transmission X1100-5A3 automatic transmission with 4 forward and 2 reverse gears. It can run at a maximum road speed of 67 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 650 km.