Poland Orders SP Guns in $1.1Bn Deal

Artillery “Deal of the Century” Concluded As Poland Awards $1.1 Billion Contract (excerpt)

The Polish Army’s new Kruk (crab) self-propelled howitzer is based on a South Korean design, and closely resembles the US-manufactured M-109. After an initial 24, Poland has now ordered a further 96. (Polish MoD photo)

STALOWA WOLA, Poland --- The Polish Ministry of Defence has awarded Huta Stalowa Wola S.A., based here, a contract to deliver 96 Krab 155mm self-propelled howitzers for the Polish Army. The vehicles will be produced here, and will equip four artillery regiments.

The contract was signed by HSW top officials and Brig. General Adam Duda, Head of the Polish Armament Inspectorate, in the presence of Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło, Minister of Defence Antoni Macierewicz and the top management of the Polish Armaments Group.

For the first time, the value of the contract was made public during the event: 4,649 million Polish zsloty ($1.1 billion), including the commission paid to the Polish Armaments Group.

This is the most significant contract in history of the Polish defence industry, and was awarded almost exactly two years after a cooperation agreement was concluded by HSW in South Korea for the acquisition from Hanwha Techwin of the rights to manufacture, “Polonize,” develop and re-export a new chassis for the 155 mm “Krab” self-propelled howitzer.

A gradual process will eventually result in the chassis and hull being completely built in Poland, except for the engines, automatic transmissions, and some other components which would be not cost-effective to manufacture in Poland, which will be imported.

HSW S.A., in collaboration with the Polish Ministry of Defence, has already begun to work on components and gun parts for additional vehicles, before the agreement was signed, and, as of mid-December, the turret systems for 12 additional “Krab” howitzers are about 50% completed.

So far, the only components of the “Krab” howitzer that are not manufactured in Poland are the barrels. This is because the Polish Defence industry, until recently, did not have the capability to process and machine barrels that are as long, and of such a large caliber, as the 155 gun. (end of excerpt)

Click here for the full story, on the Defence24 website, which includes a long history of the program.

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