AHS Krab

Krab
Krab final design shown in 2016
Type	Self-propelled artillery
Place of origin	Poland, South Korea, United Kingdom
Service history
Used by	Polish Land Forces
Production history
Designer	OBRUM, CPW HSW
Designed	2000
Manufacturer	CPW HSW
Produced	2008-2011 2015-
Number built	28
Variants	3
Specifications
Weight	48,000 kg (106,000 lb)
Length	12.05 m (39 ft 6 in)
Width	3.60 m (11 ft 10 in)
Height	3.00 m (9 ft 10 in)
Crew	5
Shell	155 mm NATO
Caliber	52
Rate of fire	6 rounds per minute (sustained)
Effective firing range	30 km (19 mi)
Maximum firing range	40 km (25 mi) with base bleed round
Main armament	155 mm
Secondary armament	WKM-B .50 BMG
Engine	MTU MT 881 Ka-500 8-cylinder water-cooled diesel 1000 HP
Power/weight	20.8 hp/t
Transmission	S&T Dynamics X1100-5A3
Suspension	hydropneumatic
Operational range	400 km (250 mi)
Speed	Maximum: 67 km/h (42 mph) Average: 30 km/h (19 mph)

The AHS Krab (Polish for Crab) is a 155 mm NATO-compatible self-propelled tracked howitzer (or more precisely a gun-howitzer) designed in Poland by Centrum Produkcji Wojskowej Huta Stalowa Wola, by combining the South Korean K9 Thunder chassis with a British AS-90M Braveheart turret with 52-calibre gun and WB Electronics' "Topaz" artillery fire control system. The 2011 version used a Nexter Systems barrel and UPG chassis. The 2016 production batch utilize the K9 chassis and a Rheinmetall barrel. As of 2016 full-rate production of 120 Krabs for Polish Army has started with 16 guns completed and deliveries to be completed by 2024.

The cannon was developed within the research framework "Regina". The program's goal was to create a 155 mm (6 and 1/8 inches) long-range artillery piece for the Polish Army that would serve as a division level asset. It was decided, that instead of buying a licence for a complete vehicle, only a licence for a modern L/52 gun and turret would be bought, and they would be mounted on domestically developed chassis.

In 1997 there was announced a contest for an artillery part (complete turret with a gun). The British AS-90M was a winner (the other contestant was PzH-2000), and in 1999 its technology was transferred to Huta Stalowa Wola factory. The chassis UPG-NG was developed in Poland by OBRUM in Gliwice, from a chassis SPG-1M (developed itself from a Soviet MT-S tractor), utilizing parts unified with PT-91 Twardy tank. The first prototype was completed in 2001, the second - next year. The first two examples of the howitzer (prototypes) are fitted with turret systems supplied by BAE Systems. It was planned to complete the first squadron in 2008, but the program was delayed due to financial reasons, and only in 2008 Polish Army ordered the first introduction batch of the squadron module, compleded in 2012. It covers eight guns (six new-built and two upgraded prototype vehicles), command vehicles (on a much modernized MTLB chassis), plus ammunition vehicles and repair vehicles for the armament and electronics, as well as the fire control system etc.