Ukrainian soldier's verdict: Polish Krabs vs German Howitzers

The Krab self-propelled howitzers provided by Poland are an essential and generally well-regarded system, but there are also strong words of criticism. Here's what a Ukrainian who served with the German Panzerhaubitze 2000 thinks about Poland's Krab.

Ukraine received many 155 mm artillery system models from NATO countries, which could be tested in wartime conditions like never before. Ukrainian soldier Andrij Kobzar from the 43rd Independent Artillery Brigade, at the initial stage of the full-scale war with Russia, served on the 2S7 Pion howitzer. However, in mid-2022, he and part of his unit went for training in Germany.

The course lasted one and a half months and took place at the artillery school in Idar-Oberstein. In November 2022, Andrij Kobzar and the other trained soldiers defended Bakhmut. His fight lasted until May 16, 2023, when he was injured near Soledar.

Now, Kobzar has decided to share his insights on the artillery war in Ukraine on the portal Drukarnia. The soldier asserts that in front-line conditions, the greater mobility provided by wheeled artillery systems is not worth the reduced protection, as is the case, for example, with the French Caesars. The Russians have a habit of not only attacking detected artillery systems with Lancet drones but also shelling their areas with rocket-propelled cluster munitions fired from BM-27 Uragan systems.

In such cases, the most crucial factor is armor, and the proper level of protection requires the high load-bearing capacity provided by the tracked chassis. In Ukraine, among these types of NATO systems are the PzH-2000, the AS90, the AHS Krab, and the M109. Andrij Kobzar said, "I didn't fit into the AS90 or M109, but I consider the Krab to be an unfinished, unthought-out, and very rough machine." The Ukrainian criticizes the simpler interior, incomplete automatic loading system, and thinner armor compared to the PzH-2000.

Furthermore, Kobzar mentioned the difference in losses. Of the PzH-2000, out of 27 units, none have been lost, except for one that was seriously damaged and sent for repair. In contrast, Ukrainians have lost 28 out of 80 used units with the Krabs.

This is a fully justified criticism, but on the other hand, the Polish Krab's simpler construction is an asset because it breaks down less often, has better service support, and can stay on the battlefield longer. Videos show PzH-2000 howitzers operating in emergency mode with the loading mechanism turned off, reducing the firing rate from a theoretical 10 rounds/min to 1-2 rounds/min.

The more significant disadvantage of the Krab, however, is its poorer armor and uninsulated ammunition storage, the hit of which can mean the immediate death of the crew. In the PzH-2000, this is better designed, as the ammunition storage is fully insulated from the crew.

On the other hand, in the case of losses, the Polish Krabs, which were also incidentally three times more numerous than the PzH-2000, spent more time on the front line, while the German machines spent significantly more time on repairs. As we also learned during conversations with representatives of the Polish industry at the MSPO fair, for ideological reasons, the Russians also mainly targeted Polish machines.