The AHS Krab (Crab) is Poland's main self-propelled howitzer, combining the British AS-90 Braveheart 155mm/L52 turret with the South Korean K9 Thunder hull, produced at HSW in Stalowa Wola. It entered Polish service in 2009. The Krab achieved international recognition when Poland donated 18 systems to Ukraine in 2022 where they performed highly effectively. Rate of fire is 6 rounds/minute; range is 40+ km standard and 50+ km with extended-range munitions. Poland operates approximately 120 Krab systems with additional orders placed. The system is fully integrated with the Polish TOPAZ artillery command system.
![Huta Stalowa Wola logo](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="200" height="60" viewBox="0 0 200 60"><rect width="200" height="60" fill="%23111"/><text x="100" y="38" font-family="Arial" font-weight="bold" font-size="12" fill="%23c8a84b" text-anchor="middle">HUTA STALOWA WOLA</text></svg>)
- 155mm/52 caliber NATO standard
- Excalibur GPS-guided round compatible
- NATO-standard for interoperability
- Proven in Ukraine combat
- AS-90 turret is combat proven
- AS-90 turret + Polish hull hybrid complexity
- Slow chassis for 48t weight
- Production bottlenecks in Poland
- Limited domestic ammunition production
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SIGN INActive protection system integration at this weight class represents a significant leap in survivability calculus.
Anti-ship missile defense integration at this displacement represents a doctrinal commitment to area defense.