The French Ministry of the Armed Forces, through the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), has placed an order with Nexter for 18 more Caesar MkI artillery systems.
The latest order is part of an accelerated procedure to procure the Caesar MkI in support of a wartime economy.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The artillery systems are scheduled to be delivered to the French army by 2024.
Nexter and the DGA jointly set up the production launch of 18 Caesar systems within weeks.
The Caesar, a truck-mounted artillery system, is a 155mm 52-calibre self-propelled gun.
It offers fast battery start up, a rate of fire of six rounds per minute, and quick resupply.
Caesar can fire conventional high-explosive, or new-generation cargo rounds, which provide increased accuracy and effectiveness.
The Caesar MkI is the first version of the artillery system and the lightest in its class (18t). With very low logistical weight, the MkI provides troops with tactical, operational, and strategic mobility.
The Ministry of the Armed Forces will start receiving the artillery system’s latest version, Caesar MkII, from 2026 onwards.
The production of the MkII will be preceded by an initial four-year development and qualification phase.
According to Nexter, the Caesar artillery systems have been deployed by several countries across Europe including Denmark, the Czech Republic, Belgium, and Lithuania.
In June this year, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence signed a Declaration of Intent to procure 18 new-generation Caesar MarktII self-propelled wheeled 155mm howitzers from France.
According to the ministry, the entire procurement process may see an expenditure of up to €150m, including the development of the artillery system, acquisition, and integration into the armed forces.
