Another Artillery Delivery. More K9 and Homar Units Arrive

This new delivery means that Poland now has 108 of the 218 (212+6) K9A1 howitzers purchased from South Korea, and components to assemble 46 Homar-K systems out of the 290 purchased. These units will now be outfitted with Polish components such as the Fonet communication system and the Topaz Automated Fire Control System. In the case of the launcher modules, they will be mounted on the Jelcz 882.57 trucks. These deliveries help fill the gap left by the equipment sent to Ukraine, such as the 2S1 Goździk howitzers, Krab howitzers, and BM-21 multiple rocket launchers (possibly also some RM-70/85 units, although visual confirmation is lacking).

Regarding tube artillery, the Polish Army is now dominated by South Korean K9A1 units, complemented by an uncertain number of 2S1 Goździk units (it is unclear how many of the approximately 360 units, held just a few years ago, have been sent to Ukraine) and likely only 26 AHS Krab units (as reports indicate that 54 were donated to Ukraine). Ultimately, based on recently signed agreements, the Polish Army will have 116 Krabs, 218 K9A1s, and 146 K9PLs. Simultaneously, negotiations are ongoing to acquire 96 modernized AHS Krabs (the framework agreement mentioned 152 units). Additionally, negotiations are underway to acquire K9A1 support vehicles, identical to those used with the Krab howitzers.

The K9 Thunder is a South-Korean self-propelled gun-howitzer, designed by Samsung Techwin (Hanwha Aerospace today), to meet the requirements of ROK Army. The system is operated by a crew of five: commander, gunner, loader, loader’s assistant, driver. K2 has been fitted with the Korean Hyundai WIA 155 mm gun featuring a 52-calibre long barrel. When using base-bleed rounds, the range is 40 kilometres. Special-purpose rounds may offer ranges exceeding 50 kilometres. The howitzer can carry 48 projectiles plus propelling charges. The platform is powered by a 1,000 HP MTU MT 881 Ka-500 engine, providing the gun with a top speed of 67 kilometers per hour, and a range of 480 kilometers.

The Homar-K is a polonized K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery system, for which the original base platform (Doosan 8x8 truck with armoured cabin) was replaced with a domestically manufactured 8x8 Jelcz truck. The system carries two rocket containers, each can accommodate 6 guided 239 mm rockets with a range of 80 kilometers, or a single ballistic missile, with a range of ca. 290 kilometers. Work is underway to integrate 122 mm rockets with the Homar-K platform - used in WR-40 Langusta or BM-21 Grad systems. The launch containers also allow the user to launch unguided 131/227 mm rockets. Development efforts regarding rockets offering 150-200 km range are underway.

Homar-K also features the ZZKO Topaz fire control system, which allows the Polonized Chunmoo to be plugged into the FCS/BMS systems used by the Polish artillery units - it is a top class solution. The Polonized variant also includes Fonet digital communications suite integration. In the future, the base platform for Homar-K may be replaced with the entirely new Jelcz 883.5.