CAESAR howitzer, the French national pride – works have begun on its successor
The CAESAR (CAmions Equipés d’un Système d’ARtillerie / Trucks equipped with an artillery system) is a large-caliber artillery piece designed to support friendly troops in combat. Depending on the ammunition used, the CAESAR can prepare the ground before an offensive, neutralize the enemy, or destroy targets. It can also illuminate the battlefield or create smoke screens prior to an assault or maneuver. Finally, specific shells enable it to fire anti-tank rounds. Mobile, fast, and discreet, the six-wheel drive carrier vehicle allows the weapon to move over rough terrain. Very fast positioning and firing preparation, thanks to hydraulic control, allow CAESAR gunners to deliver accurate shots. Once firing is complete, the CAESAR moves quickly, avoiding counter-battery fire.
According to the latest edition of “Key Defense Figures,” the French Army had 78 155 mm artillery pieces as of December 31, 2023, including CAESAR Mk1 and AUF1. It currently fields 63 CAESARs and 32 AUF1s, although it was decided in March that these would be phased out. In total, this is well below the allocation needed to enable the artillery to fulfill its operational contracts. The withdrawal of the AUF1s will depend on the delivery schedule for the CAESAR, twelve of which are to be handed over to the Army as part of the replenishment of the Ukrainian transfers by next summer.
French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu announced the future delivery of twelve new Caesar cannons to Ukraine last October. A source of French national pride and a major piece of French artillery, the Caesar cannon is often honored during the July 14 parade, but it is also vital to Kiev today. Manufactured in Bourges by KNDS France (formerly Nexter), it is one of the most sought-after artillery systems on the market. With its 155 mm self-propelled howitzer with a 52-caliber cannon, it was designed to offer optimal mobility and formidable accuracy.
Its system allows for automatic targeting and real-time ballistic calculations thanks to digital fire control. Its STANAG 2 armor system also protects it against small arms fire and artillery shrapnel. And it can be equipped with a Thales BARRAGE jammer. Mounted on a truck, it is capable of firing six rounds per minute and shooting at targets up to 40 kilometers away.
Ukrainians: "the enemy doesn't have time to locate us"
Although production has accelerated with the war in Ukraine, it takes about nine months to manufacture the gun and 18 months for the complete system with the truck. With 500 parts, its price is estimated at between three and four million euros. Its production capacity has skyrocketed, with more than 300 units sold by July 2023 and over 650 units now in service worldwide to several countries, including France, of course, but also Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania.
In total, the revenue generated by Caesar cannons is estimated to reach around €2 billion. In early 2024, the Minister of the Armed Forces announced his goal of producing 78 Caesar cannons for Ukraine, while also wanting to “encourage Europeans and our allies to share this bill.” On the front lines, Ukrainians are using these guns to destroy Russian targets such as tanks, armored vehicles, and even command posts. In 2022, a Ukrainian soldier told TF1 that the system gave them “an advantage in terms of speed” because “the enemy doesn't have time to locate us and target us.” This remains a strategic asset as military aid to Kiev gradually winds down.
Also according to French General Éric Lendroit, commander of the “artillery coalition for Ukraine,” the CAESAR is “highly praised” by Ukrainian artillerymen. They highlight its high mobility, maneuverability, accuracy, resistance to high firing rates, autonomy (600 km), compactness, which allows it to be quickly camouflaged compared to other foreign models, limiting detection by enemy sensors and maneuvering in confined spaces, its small footprint (no tracks), its ruggedness (artillerymen can repair many problems themselves) and its degraded emergency devices at the battery exit which, in the event of a breakdown, prevent the gun from being left in position.
In addition, according to data provided by KNDS France, less than 10% of Ukrainian CAESARs are out of service, compared to two to three times more for other guns of comparable architecture. And its availability (more than 60%) is higher than that of the German PzH2000 (at 32%) after five months of service.
A technical and operational study on the successor to the CAESAR to be launched in 2025
CAESAR evolves with the Mk2 (or NG, for new generation) version. It has a better protected cabin, a more powerful engine (460 hp compared to 215 of Mk1), a new chassis and improved fire control software, thanks to artificial intelligence. The program, launched three years ago, will result in the delivery of 32 CAESAR Mk2s to the French Army by the end of 2026, with the 2024–30 Military Programming Law setting a target of 109 units by 2030.
And the successor to the CAESAR is already being worked on. Initially, there were plans to develop the successor to the CAESAR in partnership with Germany through the CIFS (Common Indirect Fire System) project. However, in view of the difficulties and/or delays encountered in other Franco-German cooperation programs, the completion of this project has been postponed from 2040 to 2045. Furthermore, it would appear that with the RCH155 produced by KNDS Germany, which already provides the German Army with a high-end solution for the future that can meet its needs in 2045.
As for the technical and operational study, it should focus in particular on range, automation, accuracy, and robotization. Such a review is already underway at South Korea's Hanwha. The company has just unveiled the specifications of a new version of its K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer, called the K9A3. Equipped with a a 155 mm, 58-caliber gun, the K9A3 will be designed to meet the operational realities of the coming decades, according to the South Korean manufacturer. It will be highly automated and have a longer firing range (up to 80 km), and it will be optionally unmanned.
