Polish Army Operates More K9 than the Krab Howitzers

The editorial team at Defence24.pl received information on the number of K9A1 howitzers accepted into service by the Polish Army. In response to our inquiry, the Public Affairs Department of the Armament Agency reported that 20 units were delivered to Poland this year, and an additional 18 are awaiting formal acceptance into unit inventories. In total, 174 K9A1s have arrived in the country so far, of which 156 are already in service with the Polish Armed Forces. Upon arrival in Poland, the vehicles are equipped with, among other things, the Fonet communications system and the Topaz Automated Fire Control System.

This means that, at present, there are more than five times as many of these South Korean-acquired howitzers in the Rocket and Artillery Forces as there are Polish-produced Krabs. It is currently estimated that there are probably only 26 Krab units in Polish service. Another 54 were to be transferred to Ukraine under military aid. Unfortunately, we do not have official confirmation of that, as the Ministry of National Defence suddenly withdrew its commitment to publish details of Polish military assistance to Ukraine.

To date, a total of 218 K9A1 howitzer chassis (212 + 6) have been procured for the Polish Army under the first contract, and those deliveries are nearing completion. In addition, 146 units of an improved variant, designated K9PL, have been purchased. Thus, the Rocket and Artillery Forces will ultimately field 364 K9-family artillery systems. It is assumed that all A1-variant vehicles will eventually be upgraded to the PL standard. Alongside these, there will be 212 Krab howitzers in service, of which 48 will be the newer variant.

In addition to the K9A1s and Krabs, the Rocket and Artillery Forces still operate the 2S1 Goździk and DANA wz. 77 self-propelled howitzers. In the case of the former, it is currently unclear how many remain in service, owing both to their natural replacement by more modern equipment and to donations to Ukraine. Some estimates suggest that about 240 remain, corresponding to ten Self-Propelled Artillery Battalions (24 each), but the true number may be lower. Even so, the Goździk likely remains the single most numerous artillery type in the Polish Army, and as it is gradually withdrawn, the K9A1 will take its place.

As for the wheeled DANA, there are probably still 111 in service, of which three have been modernized to the DANA-M standard. Both the Goździk and Dana families are slated for eventual withdrawal from the Rocket and Artillery Forces (the DANAs will serve a bridging role for the Territorial Defence Forces for some time). A natural successor to the DANAs has been deferred beyond the 2021–2035 timeframe (if it materializes at all).

The K9 Thunder is a South Korean self-propelled howitzer designed by Samsung Techwin (now Hanwha Aerospace) for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. Its crew consists of five members: a commander, a gunner, a loader, an ammunition handler, and a driver. The main armament is the CN98 155 mm howitzer, featuring a rifled barrel with a length of 52 calibers (approximately 8 meters). The gun is mounted in a rotating turret. When firing a high-explosive fragmentation shell with a base bleed, its range is 40 km, while with specialized extended-range ammunition it can exceed 50 km. The combat load comprises 48 complete sets of projectiles and propellant charges.

The platform is powered by a 1,000 HP MTU MT 881 Ka-500 engine, providing the gun, weighing 47 tonnes (gross), with a top speed of 67 kilometers per hour, and a range of 480 kilometers. An alternative powertrain featuring the Korean STX SMV 1000 engine, with identical performance, will soon enter service. Both engine setups are paired with an Allison X1100-5A3 automatic transmission. Various variants of the K9 are currently in service in South Korea, Turkey, Poland, India, Norway, Estonia, Egypt, Finland, and Australia. In the future, Romania and Vietnam will also join its user group.