On Monday, April 7, 2025, Hanwha Aerospace and Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW), a company within the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), signed a contract worth approximately 280 million USD (1.095 billion PLN) for the supply of chassis components for the 155mm AHS Krab self-propelled howitzers.
Photos: Hanwha Aerospace
The agreement was signed by Hanwha Aerospace President and CEO Jaeil Son, HSW Management Board President Wojciech Kędziera, and HSW Management Board Member and CFO Barbara Cena. The ceremony was also attended by Acting President of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) Arkadiusz Bąk, Head of Hanwha Aerospace’s Land Systems Business Group Dongyeon Kim, and President and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace Europe Billy Boohwan Lee.
This marks the tenth contract under the partnership that has been developing since 2014—a collaboration that combines the expertise of the Polish and South Korean defense industries. Under the latest order, Hanwha Aerospace will deliver key components between 2026 and 2028, including power-pack systems, for the Krab artillery system operated by the Polish Armed Forces (as part of a larger agreement involving several hundred support vehicles for the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers).
“The Krab self-propelled howitzers are not only a showcase product of Huta Stalowa Wola and a strong export item, but also a symbol of the modernization of Polish artillery. Today’s agreement will enable the timely delivery—just like the previous ones—of divisional fire modules to the Polish Armed Forces. It also reaffirms the strong relationship between HSW and its South Korean partner, a partnership that has been built over the past decade,” emphasized Arkadiusz Bąk, Acting President of the Management Board of PGZ, who attended the event.
The AHS Krab is being delivered by HSW to the Armed Forces under a contract signed on December 14, 2016. The first Regina divisional fire module was handed over to Polish artillery units in 2017. Currently, HSW is fulfilling deliveries to the Polish Armed Forces under three separate contracts: from 2016, 2022, and 2024. In December 2024, HSW also delivered three Krab self-propelled howitzer battalions to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The latest contract with the State Treasury – Armament Agency, signed on December 23, 2024, is worth approximately 9 billion PLN and covers the delivery of additional Regina fire modules, including 96 modernized Krab self-propelled howitzers to be delivered between 2027 and 2029 (executive contract for 96 AHS Krab units).
The AHS Krab is powered by a power-pack consisting, among other components, of an MTU MT 881 Ka-500 engine – a four-stroke, liquid-cooled, turbocharged diesel engine with a displacement of 18.2 liters, generating 1,000 hp at 2,700 rpm and delivering a maximum torque of 2,235 Nm at 2,000 rpm. The engine is manufactured by STX Engine under license from the German company MTU Friedrichshafen (now part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems).
The engine is paired with an Allison X1100-5A3 hydromechanical transmission featuring four forward gears, two reverse gears, an integral hydrostatic steering system, and a disc brake system. It is produced under American license by SNT Dynamics.
Additionally, the AHS Krab features a Polish-adapted PK9 chassis, derived from the K9 Thunder howitzer.
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