Artillery: Never Give Up
January 5, 2017:
At the end of 2016 Poland ordered $1.1 billion of weapons, vehicles and other equipment to equip four 155mm self-propelled artillery regiments (“squadron” in Polish). The order included 96 KRAB 155mm self-propelled howitzers together with 12 command staff vehicles, 32 command post vehicles, 24 ammunition supply vehicles, and 4 mobile armament and electronics workshop vehicles. Spare parts and all necessary crew training are also included in this price and delivery will be completed by 2024. The delivery date marks a decade since Poland finally found the right combination of technology and design to make a Polish designed and made KRAB possible. In 2014 Poland signed a deal to build under license the South Korean K-9 Thunder chassis. This deal was needed to keep the Polish KRAB self-propelled 155mm howitzer program going after more than two decades of wrong turns and general frustration. The K-9 Thunder chassis was already used for a South Korean self-propelled artillery vehicle and was found to be suitable for a Polish one as well. Initially, 36 chassis will be built in South Korea. The remaining 86 chassis will be built in Poland and the result will be 120 KRAB self-propelled howitzers. The first 24 KRAB systems are already on the way, which will eventually give Poland five KRAB regiments.
https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htart/articles/20170105.aspx
