Modern cannonhaubice K9, reconnaissance drone and respective 100 artillerymen from Eel. At the turn of June and July, soldiers of the 2nd Self-Artillery Division practiced at the Central Air Force Police in Ustka. The program of respective days of training included training of shoot-and-scoot tactics, i.e. shooting and hiding. Classes were conducted day and night.
Armatohaubice K9 and at the post in the mouth.
There were 200 soldiers of the 2nd Self-propelled Artillery Squadron in Ustka. 1 Artillery Brigades. 20 units of military equipment were taken from Węgorzew's artillerymen from June 23 to July 4. There were six Koreans among them self-propelled cannonhaubic K9, which supported, among others, the radio-location set of artillery designation Liwiec and the support squad FlyEye Unmanned Aircraft Set.
The drone-operated soldiers were liable for reconnaissance of the site and for real-time transmission of data to the fire control system. – The information provided by the BSP went in real time to integrated with K9 strategy TOPAZ fire control, which made it possible for artillery to more effectively control the targets – explains Captain Karol Frankowski, press officer of the 16th Pomeranian Mechanicalised Division. The usage of an unmanned reconnaissance vehicle allowed for effective detection and recognition of targets and improvement of fire data.
Shoot, hide, survive
Among the actions that trained K9 crews was, among others, the "shoot-and-scoot" tactics (shoot and hide – ed.). – This involves taking up a fire station quickly, carrying out combat shooting, then leaving the area and hiding from the possible attack of the opponent – Captain Frankowski describes. The velocity of artillery and the simplification in the time to stay in fire stations is simply a key issue in the field of combat. As experience from Ukraine shows, safety and chances of avoiding the enemy's fire consequence are importantly increased. Therefore, soldiers paid peculiar attention to this component of training.
During the training, tasks were carried out, including: call for fire, that is, execution of fire on request after designation of the target; shooting of the advanced group of angles (GGK) – allowing to break the targets up to 40 km; firing with indirect fire without shooting, which is about hitting the mark at the first shot thanks to advanced targeting systems.
Armatohaubice K9 and at the post in the mouth.
The script of fire control training was to improve combat shooting, which is utilizing sharp ammunition. Polygon in Ustka, due to its location on the shore of the Baltic Sea, allows long-range artillery shelling to be conducted more than 15 km away. The organizers besides raised the bar and classes to increase the precision of the fire, both day and night, with limited visibility.
Quick and precise
The 16th Mechanized Division, which is subject to the soldiers of Węgorzew, has so far mostly utilized self-propelled crabs. Korean cannonhaubics have been armed since 2023. How do soldiers justice this equipment? – Armatohaubice K9 is characterized by advanced mobility, fast reaction and advanced precision," says Captain Frankowski. – Thanks to advanced targeting systems, including weather conditions, it is possible to accurately shoot targets at a distance of up to 40 km. advanced engine power (1000 hp) and track chassis guarantee efficiency in different field conditions – he adds.
The officer besides admits that the K9 is akin to the Crabs, which facilitates learning how to operate fresh equipment, but... – For soldiers, the most crucial is association and experience. It determines the effectiveness on the battlefield, says Captain Frankowski, and assures that respective days of exercises in the mouth confirmed the assembly of all sections, trained both in the garrison and in the ground.
K9 en way to the Polish Army
Armatohaubice K9 went to the Polish armed forces Thanks to the MON agreement with the Korean company Hanwha Defense. The agreement of 2022 provided that Poland would receive 672 cannonohaubice in K9A1 and K9PL versions. The Koreans besides undertook to supply specialist accompanying vehicles, ammunition, logistics and training packages. The first executive agreement was signed in August 2022. It included a shipment of 212 cannonhaubic and was worth $2.4 billion. Another deal, this time at 152 haubice for $2.6 billion, the parties concluded in December 2023. K9 goes to units stationed in the east of the country, among others to the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division.
