Polskie Radio reported that the Polish Ministry of Protection (Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej, MON) is transferring 18 AHS Krab tracked self-propelled howitzers, that are at present the most recent kind of artillery weapon deployed within the Polish Military to Ukraine. Polish sources say the Polish military has already educated 100 Ukrainian artillerymen to function these weapons. Polish authorities haven’t formally confirmed the media revelations. That is associated to data coverage. Thus, along with 12 PzH 2000 from Germany and the Netherlands, Ukraine will have already got 30 tracked 155-mm self-propelled weapons.
The AHS Krab (Crab) is a 155 mm NATO-compatible self-propelled tracked howitzer designed in Poland by Centrum Produkcji Wojskowej Huta Stalowa Wola combining K9 Thunder chassis, a AS-90M Braveheart turret with 52-calibre gun and WB Electronics “Topaz” artillery hearth management system. The 2011 model used a Nexter Techniques barrel and UPG chassis. The 2016 manufacturing batch make the most of the K9 chassis and a Rheinmetall barrel. The KRAB might be prepared to fireside in lower than 1 minute and leaves its firing place in 30 seconds. In December 2016, The Polish Firm Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) has signed a contract for the supply of artillery autos to the Polish Military for a complete quantity of €1 billion together with 24 Krab 155mm self-propelled howitzer armoured autos. As of 2016 full-rate manufacturing of 120 Krabs for Polish Military has began with 16 weapons accomplished and deliveries to be accomplished by 2024.
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Commonplace tools of the KRAB 155mm self-propelled howitzer consists of evening imaginative and prescient for the motive force, direct hearth sight, NBC safety system, automated hearth suppression system and a laser range-finder. The car additionally integrates a navigation system and a DD-9620 terminal offering goal data. The muzzle velocity measuring system above the principle gun feeds data to the fire-control system. The ZZKO TOPAZ fire-control system controls the turret, gun layer laptop and different subsystems. The KRAB can also be fitted with an auxiliary energy unit for the turret to make sure using on board electrical and digital tools throughout shut down of the principle diesel engine.
The KRAB turret is mounted on the rear of the tracked chassis. Turret traverse is thru a full steady 360º and weapon elevation is from -3.5° to +70°. Elevation and traverse drives are each electrical and function at a fee of 10°. Foremost armament of the KRAB consists of 1 155mm 52 calibre designed and manufactured by BAE Techniques. The gun can hearth all commonplace 155mm NATO projectiles with a spread from 4.7 to 40 km. An automatic loading system permits the gun to fireside with a burst fee of three rounds in fewer than ten seconds, an intense fee of six rounds a minute for 3 minutes and a sustained fee of two rounds a minute.
