Polish army to have 5 howitzer squadrons by 2024 - MoD
The Polish Army will have five Krab gun-howitzer squadrons by 2024, Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced on Monday.
The minister, speaking in Sulechów, in south-western Poland, claimed that the Krab gun-howitzer is modern and tested military equipment which genuinely may deter a possible aggressor.
Blaszczak, attending a ceremony of the handing over eight 155-mm Krab self-propelled tracked gun-howitzers to the 5th Lubuskie Artillery Regiment, said the Krabs are a modern product of the Polish arms industry which significantly raise the army's capabilities.
Following successive deliveries of Krab batteries to take place this year, the unit will be the second to have a full Krab squadron.
Minister Blaszczak said that the next three squadrons have already been ordered from the Polish producer. "By 2024, the Polish Army will have five such squadrons."
According to the Defence Ministry, the Krab is currently the biggest gun used by Polish artillery. The over 50-tonne gun-howitzer has a maximum firing range of 40 kilometres. It can fire six rounds per minute.
Krabs are produced by the Stalowa Wola Steel Mill, a member of the Polish Armaments Group. The Defence Ministry has signed a PLN 4.5 billion (EUR 1.05 billion) contract for the delivery 120 guns and accompanying vehicles. The first module was delivered in 2017. (PAP)
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