Chełm Artillery Battalion Receives the K9A1 Howitzers

The news on delivery, referring to the December shipment, was shared via social media by the 19th Mechanized Brigade. The mentioned Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion is part of the 19th Lubelska Mechanized Brigade, which in turn is subordinate to the previously mentioned unit. Thus, the process of re-equipping from the Soviet-standard 2S1 Gozdzik howitzers has begun, dramatically enhancing the battlefield capabilities of its artillerymen. It is worth noting that on 21 February, the final delivery of the aforementioned artillery, eight units, took place, and these are currently being adapted to meet the armed forces’ requirements at Huta Stalowa Wola.

Currently, 144 out of the 218 (212+6) K9A1 self-propelled howitzers purchased from South Korea are in Poland. Most have been successively handed over to the Polish Army’s artillery units after being outfitted with Polish components such as the Fonet communications system and the Topaz Automated Fire Control System. This acquisition helps fill the equipment gaps created by the transfer of an unspecified number of tracked 2S1 Gozdzik howitzers and Krab self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine. In addition to the 218 K9A1, the Polish Army will also have the more modern K9PL, of which 146 units have been purchased.

The K9 Thunder is a South Korean self-propelled howitzer designed by Samsung Techwin (now Hanwha Aerospace) for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. Its crew consists of five members: a commander, a gunner, a loader, an ammunition handler, and a driver. The main armament is the CN98 155 mm howitzer, featuring a rifled barrel with a length of 52 calibers (approximately 8 meters). The gun is mounted in a rotating turret. When firing a high-explosive fragmentation shell with a base bleed, its range is 40 km, while with specialized extended-range ammunition it can exceed 50 km. The combat load comprises 48 complete sets of projectiles and propellant charges.

The platform is powered by a 1,000 HP MTU MT 881 Ka-500 engine, providing the gun, weighing 47 tonnes (gross), with a top speed of 67 kilometers per hour, and a range of 480 kilometers. An alternative powertrain featuring the Korean STX SMV 1000 engine, with identical performance, will soon enter service. Both engine setups are paired with an Allison X1100-5A3 automatic transmission. Various variants of the K9 are currently in service in South Korea, Turkey, Poland, India, Norway, Estonia, Egypt, Finland, and Australia. In the future, Romania and Vietnam will also join its user group.