Poland has signed a $700 million contract with Ukraine to sell the country more than 50 155mm Krab self-propelled howitzers, according to multiple media reports.
The deal comes a month after Poland delivered 18 Krab guns to Ukraine from its reserves.
The deliveries are expected to begin this year and be complete in 2023. The NATO-compatible guns will reportedly be manufactured in Polish Armaments Group’s Huta Stalowa Wola plant, which can currently produce 20-30 units per year.
Features
The 48-ton tracked gun was designed in the early 2000s by merging the South Korean K9 Thunder chassis with a British AS-90M Braveheart turret. Poland ordered a total of 120 Krabs in 2016 for its army. The complete batch is expected to be delivered by 2024.
The gun can fire six rounds per minute up to 30 kilometers (18.64 miles). Rocket-assisted projectiles can be launched up to 40 kilometers (25 miles).
EU to Partly Fund Purchase
Announcing the deal, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieck said that the guns will be “very important” for the Ukrainian military in eastern Ukraine.
“Right now we are signing one of the largest, if not the largest, export defense contracts in the last 30 years. This is the sale of weapons for the Ukrainians, for Ukraine,” Ukrinform quoted him as saying.
He added that Ukraine would fund the deal partly through its budget and partly through the European Union.
