TSAMTO, May 30. According to Polish media, Poland has handed over to Ukraine 18 units of 155-mm self-propelled howitzers "Crab" in order to use them to counter the Russian offensive in the Donbas.
According to Reuters, Poland has also trained about 100 Ukrainian gunners to use howitzers.
As reported by TSAMTO, the 155-mm self-propelled howitzer "Crab" is an integrated at the enterprise of the Polish company Huta Stalowa Wola on the tracked chassis of the K-9 howitzer developed by South Korean Samsung Techwin, the tower of the British 155-mm self-propelled howitzer AS-90. SG weighing more than 50 tons allows you to hit targets at ranges up to 40 km, the maximum rate of fire is up to 6 rounds per minute. The calculation of the installation is 5 people.
The first nine 155-mm SG "Crab" on a new chassis were transferred to the Polish Armed Forces at the Huta Stalowa Wola enterprise on November 18, 2016, and the first pre-production divisional firing module "Regina" under the 2008 contract was adopted by the 11th Masurian Artillery Regiment (Vengozhevo) on August 31, 2017.
On December 14, 2016, the Weapons Inspectorate of the Polish Ministry of Defense concluded a contract with Huta Stalowa Wola for the supply of four "Regina divisional firing modules" based on 155 mm SG "Crab" (a total of 96 installations) to the Armed Forces of the country. The value of the agreement exceeds 4.65 billion. zloty ($1.1 billion). It is assumed that the adoption of the Polish Armed Forces of all five divisional firing modules will be completed in 2024.
Earlier, Poland had already transferred T-72 tanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (approx. TSAMTO: reportedly, 232 units), self-propelled howitzers 2S1 "Gvozdika", MLRS "Grad", portable anti-aircraft missile systems "Perun", air-to-air missiles for MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft, UAVs of the Polish company WB Electonics and a large amount of ammunition.
On May 28, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov also announced that Ukraine had begun receiving Harpoon anti-ship missiles from Denmark and self-propelled howitzers from the United States.
