Big plans and unsuccessful results of the AHS Kryl self-propelled gun

AHS Kryl self-propelled gun at one of the exhibitions

Since the beginning of the last decade, the Polish military industry, together with foreign colleagues, has been developing a promising self-propelled vehicle artillery installation of the AHS Kryl. The combat vehicle on a wheeled chassis was supposed to demonstrate high technical and combat characteristics, as well as positively influence the potential of artillery. However, this project could not be completed and was recently abandoned.

On a wheeled chassis

By the beginning of the 155s, the Polish Ministry of National Defense came to the conclusion that it was necessary to create a promising XNUMX-mm self-propelled howitzer on a wheeled chassis. Such a machine could in the future complement tracked self-propelled howitzers and improve the overall performance of ground forces artillery.

In 2011, the Ministry of Defense developed a technical specification for a new self-propelled gun and soon placed an order for its development. At this stage, the project received the designation AHS Kryl (Kryl) by analogy with other Polish developments in the field of artillery.

The creation of the combat vehicle and its components was entrusted to a specially created consortium headed by the company Huta Stalowa Wola (Stalowa Wola). A number of Polish organizations of various profiles, as well as foreign companies, were invited to participate in the work. In particular, the design of the artillery unit was entrusted to the Israeli company Elbit.

According to the initial plans, all work on the Kryl SPG was to be completed by the end of the decade. The first prototype SPG was to be built and tested no later than 2015. By 2017, it was to receive a new fire control system and return to the testing ground. After that, it was planned to establish serial production and begin delivering equipment to the troops.

Real results

As planned, the first stage of the Krill development took only a few years. Already in 2014, HSW built the first prototype of the new SPG and in September showed it for the first time at a Polish exhibition. It was announced that the vehicle would soon be sent to the proving grounds for running and firing tests.

Self-propelled gun on tests

According to various sources, the tests of the Kryl SPG at one of the Polish proving grounds began no later than the end of 2014. At that time, the SPG was not fully equipped, which affected the testing program. However, even in this form, it demonstrated its basic running and combat characteristics.

No earlier than 2017, the HSW-led consortium completed the development of a promising fire control system for the AHS Kryl. The prototype was equipped with this system and taken to the range again. This time, all aspects of combat use and firing were worked out. In particular, in the spring of 2017, firing at the maximum possible range was reported.

In parallel, additional means and products for various purposes were being developed. For example, by the end of the 155s, the APR-155 corrected XNUMX-mm projectile from Mesko was tested. The ammunition with a semi-active laser homing head passed the tests and demonstrated a fairly high accuracy in hitting illuminated targets.

As expected, there were some comments during the tests. The Kryl product had a number of shortcomings that needed to be corrected. The entire end of the 1910s and the beginning of the 1920s were spent on fine-tuning the design. In addition, at a certain stage of the refinements, the testing program even had to be suspended.

As a result of these events, the project schedule was adjusted. The launch of the series was first postponed to 2021, and then indefinitely.

Unresolved issues

In recent years news The AHS Kryl project was not reported very often. It was only reported that testing and improvements were continuing, but not that serial production had been launched. It was clear that the project had encountered serious obstacles that prevented it from achieving all the desired results.

In November 2024, one of the Seimas deputies sent a request to the Ministry of Defense, inquiring about the current state of affairs in the Krill project and its prospects. The deputy emphasized that the new wheeled self-propelled gun should be of great interest to the army and it should be launched into serial production as soon as possible.

In early January, it became known how the military department responded to this request. It turned out that the Polish Ministry of Defense had lost interest in the AHS Kryl project and considered the tracked AHS Krab self-propelled gun to be a higher priority. The purchase of wheeled self-propelled guns is postponed until at least the middle of the next decade.

Soon, additional information from sources in the Polish military industry appeared on specialized resources. It was reported that over several years, HSW and its partners were unable to finalize the project. The SPG retained various shortcomings and still does not meet the customer's requirements.

For example, it was not possible to reduce the weight of the self-propelled gun to the required level. Because of this, the combat vehicle cannot be transported by C-130 aircraft, as required by the customer. There are also complaints about other characteristics, reliability, etc.

All this determined the fate of the AHS Kryl project. The presence of many shortcomings and the impossibility of eliminating them led to the fact that in 2024 all work on it was stopped. Now the Ministry of Defense is deciding the future of this development. It is possible that instead of the Kryl, they will begin to create a new self-propelled gun of a similar appearance.

Technical features

The AHS Kryl is a self-propelled howitzer on a vehicle chassis. Externally and in its architecture, this SPG is similar to a number of other modern artillery systems. There is also a certain similarity in terms of functions and tactical and technical characteristics.

The Krill is based on the three-axle all-wheel drive chassis Jelcz 663.32. This is a bonnet-type vehicle with an armoured bonnet and cabin. The chassis has a platform on which the artillery system and auxiliary units are located. The combat vehicle is controlled by a crew of five people.

The overall length of the prospective self-propelled gun was 10,3 m. The width of the hull was about 2,5 m, the height, taking into account the artillery mount, was 3,4 m. According to the technical specifications, the combat weight should not exceed 23 tons. However, the prototype turned out to be significantly heavier.

The base vehicle is equipped with a diesel engine MTU 6R106TD21 with a capacity of 326 hp and a manual transmission. The wheeled combat vehicle is capable of accelerating on the highway to 85 km/h. The power reserve is declared at 500 km. All-wheel drive allows you to overcome various obstacles.

An artillery mount is openly located in the rear of the vehicle. Its design ensures firing within the front sector with large elevation angles. There are remotely controlled drives and backup manual ones. The mount is supplemented by a lowering stern coulter, on which there is a platform for the crew to work.

The SPG is armed with an ATMOS 2000 gun from the Israeli company Elbit. This is a rifled gun of 155 mm caliber with a barrel length of 52 calibers, a developed muzzle brake and a semi-automatic breech. The gun is mounted on a mount with hydropneumatic recoil devices.

APR-155 guided missile of Polish design

The 155 mm separate loading rounds, which comply with NATO standards, are used for firing. Loading is done manually with the rounds being fed from the on-board stowage or from the ammunition conveyor. In order to reduce the dimensions and weight of the SPG, the standard automatic loader from the ATMOS 2000 system had to be abandoned.

The rate of fire depends on the capabilities of the crew. During continuous shooting, it does not exceed 5-6 shots per minute. The maximum firing range of 40 km is achieved when using active-reactive ammunition of some models.

The NCBiR fire control system was developed specifically for the Krill, including navigation tools, a computer with the necessary functions, and a control panel for aiming. The FCS takes on all the main actions and calculations, reducing the load on the operator.

Unsuccessful attempt

At the beginning of the last decade, the Polish Ministry of Defense planned to supplement the fleet of self-propelled artillery with a new installation on a wheeled chassis. Work on this project continued until recently, but did not produce the desired result. Despite its apparent simplicity, the AHS Kryl project turned out to be too complex for full implementation.

According to the latest information, the Polish army is not going to complete the development of the Krill and accept it into service. The possibility of creating a new project of a similar self-propelled gun with its acceptance into service in 10 years is being considered. Whether such a project will be launched and whether it will be possible to cope with it, time will tell.

Comments

[B-15]

Strange. Where is the European solidarity?
Why is the French Caesar artillery mount not satisfactory?
Once again, Polish greed rules.

[TermNachTer]

In total - the chassis is German, the gun is Jewish))) and what is Pshek's about it? But even this, the super-powerful Pshek's industry could not handle.

[Warlord]

I couldn't pull it off because I was robbed. Otherwise, how can I explain where the taxpayers' money goes? Nothing has changed since the times of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the same corrupt ways. They are ready to sell their honor for money, but they talk about it the most.

[Scharnhorst]

The failure of the Poles once again emphasized the general inferiority of the concept of a heavy gun on a car chassis. The success of the Swedish "Archer" and the French "Caesar" in Ukraine is nothing more than the dominance of advertising over common sense, which the Swedes and the French can afford. The Poles, however, have real experience from the latter in operating Soviet towed and self-propelled artillery and did not fall for the acceptance of unsatisfactory test results in favor of the interests of the Jews and Germans. For Ukrainians They are the first in line to get their asses kicked by the Russian Armed Forces. We should approach the assessment of "Malva" as objectively as the Poles. Before it's too late...

[ss29]

It depends on which side you look at it from. Malva is a car with a gun from Msta bolted on. What's special about it is that it has no bells and whistles and is stupidly cheaper than Msta. And then they'll bolt on a gun from Giatsint, then from something else as they run out of guns.

[TermNachTer]

I always said that it's good to come and shoot and leave quickly, as long as there's a hard-surfaced road or dry weather. But if not, then there's nothing better than tracks, nothing has been invented yet.

[Yuras_Belarus]

Why armor the cabin? When firing the gun, all five crew members will be outside.

[Fafick]

To protect crew during transport or moving from one safe position to another.

[Fafick]

The situation with the Kryl was that there were plans to create a highly mobile self-propelled howitzer for foreign missions. So, something for Iraq, Afghanistan, and Chad. The tactical assumptions were as follows – it had to fit into a C130, have a 55-caliber barrel, and not require armor (meaning it didn't need a closed turret). Well, it turned out, first of all, that it was difficult to create such a machine to fit into a C130, and secondly, when war in Ukraine broke out in 2014 and later in 2022, the Poles realized they needed weapons for a real war (ie, an armored Krab) rather than for missions to shoot at the Taliban from a safe base. Hence, the idea was abandoned.

[nazgul-ishe]

Spanking the disobedient and fighting with equals are two different things. You are right.

[stankow]

Quote: Yuras_Belarus

Why armor the cabin? When firing the gun, all five crew members will be outside.

To protect the engine and driver. Otherwise they'll hit it and immobilize the entire installation. Also protect it on the march.

[Warlord]

However, it is unlikely to save from hits from light 30 mm guns. Especially from the BTR-82 or BMP-2.

[Semenov197]

After all, the protection of the overwhelming majority of armored vehicles in the world (excluding, and not always, MBTs) will not protect against a successful hit from the appropriate distance by a 30-mm projectile. But this is not a reason to completely abandon armor. That is why armor is differentiated by class.

[Alexey RA]

Quote from warlord

However, it is unlikely to save from hits from light 30 mm guns. Especially from the BTR-82 or BMP-2.

If divisional/brigade artillery is in the firing zone of armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, then questions of protection for the artillerymen are no longer important. Since this means that the unit is routed and they need to run away.
The SPG protection is bulletproof and anti-fragment. In case the enemy managed to work on the firing positions before the collapse.

[stankow]

If infantry BMPs find themselves in the divisional artillery's OP zone, and stupidly enter their area, then they need to run away. Artillery will accept the battle with direct fire and will not say hello to the vehicles that penetrate. Divisional and regimental artillery have a heavier salvo, and a longer direct shot, and all the landmarks are zeroed in. And there is camouflage, and the mat is frequent in the trenches, and not in an open field.

[Alexey RA]

Quote: stankow

Arta will accept the battle with direct fire and will not say hello to the infiltrating vehicles.

I have serious doubts that a wheeled SPG will be able to fire along the traverse at direct fire - won't the recoil knock it over? And if the gun's gun depression angle is limited, then while the SPG maneuvers, bringing the target into the firing sector, the BMP or APC will perforate it.

Quote: stankow

And there is camouflage, and the swearing is frequent in the trenches, and not in the open field.

This is if the enemy does not have AIR and reconnaissance UAVs. Otherwise, it is more reliable to shoot from an open field from temporary OPs and move away - before something flies in.

[stankow]

This is precisely one of the major drawbacks of wheeled SPGs - it is very inconvenient to fire direct fire. And the aiming angles are so-so, and the crew is not covered, and you can't dig the monster itself in overnight. And the profile is high. Knowing this, the enemy will boldly penetrate their positions. And knowing that there is a dug-in towed vehicle waiting there - he will not even think about it. The regiment commander is calmer, knowing that the artillery division is located in the gap between two front-line battalions. Neither infantry, BMP, nor tank battalion of the enemy will stick their noses in there if they are in their right minds. So, it seems that they "don't shoot" direct fire, but they have not forgotten.

[Wildcat]

It is completely logical that the Poles refused to have a gun in a truck, which did not even have an automatic loader, like the Archer.
But they switched to Crab and K9 - and where unmatched in the world?

And if you really want to make fun of Polish military programs, you can take:

- the Orca project (PL), which "will definitely be finalized" in 2025. The military promised politicians "and now the submarine will have cruise missiles that can be used to "shoot through the window""The idea is so-so, perhaps the politicians will again not allow the military to spend money in the Baltic Sea.

- Project "Tick" - a reconnaissance vehicle the size of half a train car, which the crews will simply shoot down themselves, out of pity: ugly, pointless, but it floats!

- the Borsuk project - "let's make an IFV ourselves, protected, but so that it floats." And so it turned out "so that it floats", but the IFV didn't work out and we smoothly move on to...

- ta-dam! The "heavy IFV" project - doesn't float, but we want our own. So if we take the hull from the K9 and put a turret from Rosomak... it didn't work... So let's look at the South Korean IFV for the .. umpteenth time...

- an honorable third place goes to the "Grot" machine gun! Users "to the east of Poland" note that it is good... if you take it from the armory and hand it in there. But it does not withstand field conditions.

- an honorable second place... for the T50GF, but it's still a "hole-plugger". We have the plane - no missiles... 48 pieces.

- and Poland's craziest arms purchase.... ta-dam... first place! 96 Apache! Ninety-six Apaches! Why Poland cosplays "Desert Storm" is unclear, for the third year now we can see what helicopters are capable of, especially attack helicopters. So, 10 yards of green, 96 Apaches - an honorable first place in the Polish rating of "The Craziest Military Purchase"!

[Semenov197]

From the point of view of unification, the choice of guns by the Poles is not entirely logical: the Crab has British, the Krill has Israeli, other systems have Korean, etc., with the obvious presence of residual Soviet systems, it turns out to be some kind of parsley. Or is it a rush before a probable hypothetical combat clash, or a clash of financial interests? Of course, it is more advantageous for us to have a variety of weapon systems in a potential enemy

[Wildcat]

There is nothing profitable there.

There is actually NATO standardization for barrels, projectiles and propellant charges for the 155mm.52 caliber, which has a range of 40 km or more.

Soviet calibers are also being stored in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

K9 and Crab are the same 52 caliber in 155 mm. There will be no Krill, IMHO.

By the way, “in practice” “minor discrepancies” were discovered among national manufacturers of 155mm shells and charges, but nothing fatal.

[Semenov197]

Yes, I agree with you, NATO unification of shells and charges works
Minor discrepancies can be compensated for by sighting in
But the differences in design and manufacturing schools - British at Crab, Israeli at Krill, Korean, etc. - will not bring normal service.
In the field, when a breakdown occurs, technicians will face a full range of difficulties when repairing different types of systems.

[Fafick]

Not exactly. The Krab and K9 share the same chassis. The problem is that the Polish industry is unable to produce more than around 50 Krabs per year, which is why the K9 was purchased from South Korea.

[Fafick]

OK, let's deal with your theses:

The Orka program is indeed slow, but according to the latest information, this year a submarine armed with cruise missiles with a range of over 1000 kilometers will be selected. That's just enough to strike Moscow from the Baltic Sea.
The Kleszcz is smaller than the BRM-3K. It may look awful, but war is not a beauty contest.
I don't know what you mean by the Borsuk. The vehicle is great. Well-armored, it can swim, and has an excellent ZSSW30 turret.
A heavy IFV is a completely different matter than what you're saying. The Polish industry said it could build one in about 5-8 years. Poland needs a vehicle right now, so it was decided to buy one abroad. Probably a German one (that's the rumor).
The Grot is excellent and well-regarded. Initially, at the start of the war, first-series Grots were sent to Ukraine. Currently, Grots M3 are being produced, which do not have the flaws of the original versions. Well, the Ukrainians were kind of testers.
The T-50 was never meant to be a full-fledged fighter. It's an aircraft mainly designed to defend cities, etc., from cruise missiles. Besides, there was an urgent need to buy aircraft to replace the MiG-29s sent to Ukraine.
Please explain to all of us why 96 Apache helicopters is a stupid purchase, and the Ka-52 is a great machine with no equivalent in the world.

[Wildcat]

There is a certain truth in your words... and maybe you are absolutely right!

Let me tell you a final joke:
"A man is walking along the shore of a lake and sees a guy scooping water out of it with his hand.
lakes and drinks. A man shouts:
- Why are you drinking this dirty water, they throw all the trash here, the plants waste
merged, from the whole village govnostok comes out here!
- What did you say?
- Yes, I say: scoop with both hands!"

[Alexey RA]

Quote: Wildcat

- an honorable second place... for the T50GF, but it's still a "hole-plugger". We have the plane - no missiles... 48 pieces.

GF are the first 12 units. They were taken in the panic of 2022, when at least something was needed. Hence the problems: theoretically, GF can carry Sidewinders, but in practice - no, since AIM-9L/M are no longer produced, and the machine is not modified for AIM-9X. Nevertheless, the Poles claim that AGM-65 and JDAM can be suspended on GF.
The next 36 PL modification vehicles have already been released in a modified version.

[Wildcat]

I absolutely agree with you that they “took it in a panic” because they imagined tank columns “very, very close”.

But in practice, there are no tank columns and the FA50 is there - an aircraft for combat where there is no significant air defense or enemy aircraft, in the genre of "take more, fly cheaper" for countries like Iraq/Indonesia - especially against all sorts of Rebellions with light infantry.

As a training aircraft it is redundant, there is Airmakki. As a light attack aircraft/guided missile bomber - it is unarmed and defenseless. As a "light fighter" - who exactly will it "exterminate" with such performance characteristics and armament?

And when the armed version of the FA50 appears, theoretically Poland will not need it.

IMHO, of course, and let them have it according to plan - scoop with both hands!

[Alexey RA]

Quote: Wildcat

And when the armed version of the FA50 appears, theoretically Poland will not need it.

The Koreans promised the first PL deliveries in 2025. Here is a photo from October 2024:

Quote: Wildcat

As a training aircraft it is redundant, there is Airmakki. As a light attack aircraft/guided missile bomber - it is unarmed and defenseless. As a "light fighter" - who exactly will it "exterminate" with such performance characteristics and armament?

"Aircraft of the second line and secondary directions." In general, an air littoral.
Poland doesn't have the money to cover all the routes with full-fledged aviation. That's why they use ersatz.
And as a result, the road to hell for the staff and rear services is paved with good intentions. They will have to plan the use, supply, maintenance and repair of this zoo, which is already close to the Indian one.

As a result, in a few years we will have still modern M-346 trainers (bought in a competition in 2014, in which they beat, among others, the T-50), trainers and several combat FA-50GFs, light combat FA-50PLs, F-16s, F-35s and, possibly, a third type of full-fledged combat aircraft (unofficially, the F-15X or Eurofighter 2000, which should come faster than the F-16/F-35). Thus, we become the NATO champion in equipment diversity in yet another category. We already have 4 types of main battle tanks (PT-91, Leopard 2, K2, Abrams) and 3 types of medium helicopters (Mi-8/17, S-70i, AW-149).

[Wildcat]

IMHO, an interceptor type - F15 or EF2000 - would be quite reasonable and not as hopeless in a military sense for Poland as the FA50.

And considering the multifunctionality of the latest models (there are no more “no pound for ground”) this would be a very reasonable investment for Poland.

But for now - let Poland"scoop with both hands"FA50 with Apaches.

[Zaurbek]

Well, the Russian Federation couldn't handle such a project. Where is our 152mm and 52cal?

[Glagol1]

Not born. More precisely: born a freak. A good weapon is also beautiful. Look at the T-34, AKM, Tu-160, well, you get the idea. It's painful to look at this skinny guy, especially from the front. Well, God didn't give it to the Poles, all their main weapons are either purchased or licensed.

[Arigin]

The shell in the last photo is the spitting image of Krasnopol. I wonder if its firing range is greater than Krasnopol's, or the same.
The installation is quite good, it’s strange that they abandoned it.
I think the price-quality ratio can be quite good, after eliminating the "childhood diseases".