Image source: topwar.ru
Poland continues to build up its own armed forces by purchasing military equipment. The next batch of K9 Thunder self-propelled artillery units of South Korean production has been transferred to the Polish Ministry of Defense. This was announced by the country's Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak.
The Polish military received 12 more K9 Thunder self-propelled guns, all equipment will enter service with the 14th self-propelled artillery division stationed in the east of the country. The first batch of South Korean self-propelled guns in the amount of 24 units arrived in the Polish port of Gdynia on December 6 last year. Thus, to date, the Polish Ministry of Defense has already received 36 155-mm K9A1 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, which received the K9PL index.
The first additional contract for the supply of 48 K9A1 Thunder self-propelled guns was signed in August last year. In total, Warsaw ordered 212 self-propelled artillery units from South Korea.
As explained, the speed of delivery of the K9A1 Thunder ACS to Poland is due to the fact that Seoul does not supply new self-propelled guns, but from storage. Before sending them, a number of parts are replaced, tinted, and that's it. In Poland, they install their own combat control system on them, change the manufacturer's communication and labeling from English to Polish.
155 mm / 52 self-propelled howitzer K9 Thunder weighs 47 tons, a powerful diesel engine of 1000 hp provides speeds up to 67 km / h. The power reserve is 480 km. Armed with a K9 155-mm gun with a barrel length of 52 caliber, the rate of fire reaches 15 rounds per minute. The crew is 5 people.
