Industry
Krab Programme - Almost Finalized. Rak Programme Agreement To Be Concluded This Year
Fot. Goddard Space Flight Center / jwst.nasa.gov via flickr.com
The K9 chassis has been fully integrated with the 155 mm Krab system turret. Once the certification tests are finalized, the vehicle is going to be mass produced - as it was announced by General Adam Duda, chief of the Armament Inspectorate of the Polish Ministry Of Defence.
The certification tests, execution of which is required, in order to start the manufacturing process and introduce the Krab 155 mm self-propelled howitzers into the inventory of the Polish Army, are going to be realized in October. According to general Adam Duda, chief of the Armament Inspectorate, no problems are expected, since the technological risk has been minimized, and the said turret has been - with no major problems, integrated with the Samsung K9 chassis.
Finalization of the test programme is going to enable the industry to realize production and deliveries of the first division fire module until the end of 2017 (24 examples of the Krab howitzer, along with the auxiliary vehicles). Until the end of 2022, 120 self-propelled howitzers of the said type are going to enter the active service.
Works, the aim of which is to introduce the Rak self-propelled mortars, based on the Rosomak APC, are also fairly advanced at the moment. The technical support and ammunition supply, and reconnaissance vehicles for the Rak system are still being tested, while the command vehicle and the self-propelled mortar have already gone through and successfully passed the test programme. Realization of the full test cycle and certification is going to make it possible for the Ministry of Defence to conclude an agreement, related to acquisition of the said system, by the end of the year.