AHS Krab Polish 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH)

The AHS Krab Polish 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH) features a turret and gun derived from British designs, mounted on a South Korean K9 Thunder chassis, complemented by Polish electronics. It adheres to NATO standards and has been exported to Ukraine, where it has experienced significant combat against Russian forces. Its primary tactical role is to provide deep fire support targeting artillery batteries, command and control (C2) nodes, logistics, mechanized formations, and air assets on Forward Arming and Refueling Points (FARP) or landing grounds. The system's survivability in current combat situations, particularly in Ukraine, heavily relies on the principles of shoot-and-scoot tactics and counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) protection. However, it has been reported to be vulnerable to loitering munitions and first-person view (FPV) drones, similar to other Western self-propelled howitzers. In Ukraine, the Krab has been widely employed in the Donbas region and during operations such as the Kharkiv counteroffensive, where it has demonstrated both notable effectiveness and some documented losses—at least nine by late 2022, according to open sources. Crews have praised the system for its fire control and responsiveness but have also highlighted challenges akin to those faced by other Western self-propelled howitzers: a significant maintenance burden under high operational tempo and vulnerability to UAS-enabled counter-battery fire.