On March 25th this year on the territory of the military unit in Sulechów, in which the 5th Lubuski Artillery Regiment is stationed, the Polish Armed Forces have officially received the first serial self-propelled howitzers “KRAB”.
Thus, HSW S.A. commenced a series production of equipment for the first (and taking into account the implementation contract – the second) Division Fire Module “Regina”, consisting of 24 self-propelled howitzers “Krab” cal. 155 mm. Each DFM Regina includes, apart from fire means, also 3 Command-Staff Vehicles, 8 Command Vehicles of various levels, 6 Ammunition Vehicles, and Armaments and Electronics Repair Vehicle. Transferred elements are: the first battery of the first DFM, i.e. 8 sh “Krab” and accompanying vehicles.
Transfer of the elements of the division fire module to the Polish Armed Forces starts the implementation of the agreement signed on December 14th, 2016 between the Management Board of Huta Stalowa Wola S.A. and the Armament Inspectorate of the Ministry of National Defense for the supply of four division fire modules REGINA. The value of the contract exceeds 4.5 billion PLN. This contract is one of the largest contracts in the Polish defense industry.
This is a special moment for HSW S.A., because we transfer the equipment in accordance with the schedule resulting from the Agreement with the Ordering Party.
– The soldiers of the 5th Lubuski Artillery Regiment were symbolically given the keys to the Crab canon-howitzers, and thus the product of the Polish armaments industry. Modern equipment that belongs to the best in this field in the world. (…) This is the equipment we boast about abroad. – said Mariusz Błaszczak, Minister of National Defense.
Self-propelled howitzer 155 mm is the highest class artillery equipment. Self-propelled howitzer 155 mm is designed to incapacitate and destroy: artillery batteries and rocket artillery, command posts, communication nodes and field reinforcements, mechanized and motorized tank subunits in all positions and types of combat operations, armored means in the depths of the opponent’s groups as well as with direct fire, and logistic support facilities.It is characterized by a rate of fire at an intensive fire of 6 shots / min and a maximum range of 40 km. Its equipment includes, among others, a very precise inertial navigation system supported by military GPS (with SAASM module), advanced fire control system, filtering system, modern digital internal and external communication system, fire and explosion suppression system, day and night observation devices of the driver and commander, warning and self-defense system that detects irradiation from rangefinders or laser illuminators, and enables the automatic setting of a smokescreen in the direction from which radiation has occurred, a sight for shooting straight, ballistic radar and a power generator. In addition to the 155 mm gun it is equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun and a smoke grenade launcher (2×4).
After the celebrations have ended, a dynamic demonstration of the combat action of the WR – 40 Langusta rocket launchers and the self-propelled howitzers Krab took place.