The AHS Krab is a Polish 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer built by Huta Stalowa Wola around a NATO-standard 52-caliber gun, an AS-90 Braveheart turret lineage, a K9-derived tracked chassis, and the TOPAZ fire-control ecosystem. In Ukrainian service it gives artillery units a mobile Western-caliber gun able to fire standard and precision 155 mm ammunition, displace after missions, and operate in counter-battery-threatened sectors of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
Operated by Ukrainian forces as a Polish-supplied 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer; RFE/RL/Reuters documented a Ukrainian Krab unit after engaging Russian forces in Donetsk region in August 2022, while Poland's defence ministry described Krabs as used by Ukrainian troops and tied HSW's supply contract to Ukraine support.
Role detailsKrab's public design history is a hybrid artillery story rather than a single clean-origin vehicle. The record combines Polish integration work, British AS-90 Braveheart turret lineage, a 155 mm / 52-caliber NATO gun standard, and the later K9-derived chassis path used for production vehicles.
| Element | Source-backed context |
|---|---|
| Integrator | Huta Stalowa Wola is the Polish manufacturer and official product owner for the Krab howitzer. |
| Turret and gun lineage | Army Recognition and Forecast International describe the system around AS-90 Braveheart turret lineage and a 155 mm / 52-caliber gun. |
| Tracked chassis path | Army Recognition and Forecast International tie the later production configuration to the South Korean K9 chassis family rather than the earliest Polish prototype chassis. |
| Fire-control ecosystem | Army Recognition identifies the TOPAZ artillery fire-control system as part of the Krab configuration. |
Sources: 155 mm Self-Propelled Howitzer KRAB; Krab 155mm Howitzer; Forecast International AS90.
Krab is best treated as a Polish production family rather than a long list of separate marks: public sources mainly distinguish the early Polish chassis prototypes from the later production configuration using a K9-derived chassis and AS-90 Braveheart turret lineage.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Krab production howitzer | K9-chassis 155 mm / 52-caliber tracked self-propelled howitzer | Army Recognition and Forecast International describe the current Krab configuration as an AS-90 Braveheart turret lineage integrated with a South Korean K9-derived tracked chassis and 52-caliber 155 mm gun. |
Krab is a NATO-standard 155 mm / 52-caliber howitzer; the linked ammunition entries below are cataloged because sources directly tie them to Krab compatibility or Ukrainian 155 mm precision-fire context.
| Ammunition | Ammunition type | Firing evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | 155 mm GPS-guided artillery projectile | Army Recognition lists the Polish Krab among the modern self-propelled howitzers that can fire M982 Excalibur, and its 2023 Ukraine report says Ukrainian artillery used Excalibur with Krab systems in service. Sources: Ukraine gains unmatched battlefield precision with M982 Excalibur GPS guided munition |
 | 155 mm artillery shell | Defence24 says the OFd MKM-DV variant was adapted and certified for the Polish Krab, and MSM Group says the round uses a base-bleed unit for extended range up to 40,000 meters from a 52-caliber gun. Sources: Artillery Ammunition, Czechoslovak Group: "Współpraca z Polską może być szersza" |
Army Recognition identifies 2001 as the year of the first Krab prototype, before the later K9-chassis production configuration.
HSW says it concluded a December 2014 contract with Samsung Techwin, later Hanwha Land Systems, for chassis and technology transfer tied to the Regina program.
HSW says its 2016 contract with Poland covered four Regina division fire modules totaling 96 Krab howitzers with command and logistic vehicles.
HSW reported that the Polish Armed Forces received the first serial Krab howitzers at Sulechow, starting series production for the first Regina division fire module under the 2016 agreement.
HSW reported the handover of another eight Krab howitzers and accompanying vehicles, completing the first Polish Regina division fire module.
During a Kyiv visit, Poland's defence minister said Krabs were being used by Ukrainian troops and linked Polish Krab support to Ukraine's security.
RFE/RL's Reuters photo report documented a Ukrainian Krab unit firing against Russian forces in the Donetsk region.
Poland's Ministry of National Defence described Huta Stalowa Wola's ongoing contract with Ukrainian authorities for Krab cannon howitzer supply as part of support for Ukraine.
Army Recognition reported Ukrainian use of M982 Excalibur guided 155 mm ammunition and named Krab among the modern howitzers able to fire it.
Open sources place the Krab in two main service contexts. HSW documents Polish Regina division fire modules built around Krab batteries, command vehicles, ammunition vehicles, and repair support. RFE/RL and Reuters document Ukrainian Krab combat use near Donetsk after Polish transfers during Russia's full-scale invasion, and Poland's defence ministry later described Krabs as used by Ukrainian troops.
Sources: Polish Armed Forces Have Received Self-Propelled Howitzers KRAB; Ukrainian Forces Use Poland's AHS Krab Howitzer Against Russian Invaders; Poland Among Leaders of Military Aid for Ukraine; Poland Will Train And Equip A Ukrainian Brigade-Level Unit; Ukraine gains unmatched battlefield precision with M982 Excalibur GPS guided munition; Czechoslovak Group: "Współpraca z Polską może być szersza".
