Poland signs agreement with Ukraine for the supply of 60 KRAB 155mm self-propelled howitzers.

According to information published by the "SOFREP" website on July 21, 2022, Poland signed an agreement with Ukraine for the delivery of 60 KRAB 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzers for an amount of €650 million.
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Polish army KRAB 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer at MSPO defense exhibition in Poland, September 2019. (Picture source Army Recognition)

This announcement was made by the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki during a visit to the Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) company, the manufacturer of the KRAB 155mm howitzers. This sale of the KRAB howitzers to Ukraine would be the largest arms export contract for Poland.

Citing Polish media, Poland will deliver 54 KRAB 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzers over the next few months and the United States will provide ammunition. Poland has already delivered 15 KRAB howitzers to Ukraine which are already deployed in the country to conduct combat operations against Russian troops.

Citing information from Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, this contract would be financed by European funds as well as funds from the Ukrainian government.

The KRAB is a 155mm self-propelled howitzer based on a tracked armored chassis. This artillery vehicle was fully developed and designed by the Polish defense industry and entered into service with the Polish army in November 2016. Currently of the 120 vehicles ordered, 80 have already been delivered to the Polish army. It is now the backbone of the artillery units of the Polish army.

The KRAB howitzer is based on the South Korean tracked chassis K9 fitted with the British turret of the AS90 Braveheart. The main armament of the KRAB consists of a 155mm/52 caliber gun. It has a burst rate of fire of three rounds per ten seconds. The gun can fire all NATO 155mm ammunition with a maximum firing range of 40 km. The howitzer carries forty rounds of ammunition that are stowed inside the turret and chassis.

The KRAB 155mm self-propelled howitzer uses the chassis of the South Korean K9 self-propelled howitzer. Presumably, the KRAB will use the same engine as the K9 that consists of 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.