Artillery: The Army will have 109 new generation CAESAr 6×6 by 2031 – Zone Militaire

According to the report annexed to the Military Programming Law [LPM] 2019-25, there was talk of ordering 32 CAESAr [Camions équipés d’un système d’artillerie de 155 mm] in order to bring their total number to 109 units, 77 having already been delivered to the Army. It was also a question of replacing the AUF1 self-propelled guns, which had reached the end of their operational life.

That said, on February 19, during a trip to Roanne, where he visited the Nexter factory, the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, thus announced the notification of a contract for a maximum value of 600 million euros for the development of the new generation CAESAr [NG ou Mark II].

“The market provides for an initial phase of development and qualification of four years following which the CAESAR 6X6 Mark II will go into production”, specified Nexter, shortly after the Prime Minister’s announcement.

At the end, the Directorate General of Armaments [DGA] will have the choice between two options: launch the production of 109 new generation CAESAr, or order 33 units and renovate the remaining 76 systems used by the Army [l’un des CAESAr livré depuis 2004 n’étant plus opérationnel, ndlr].

LIVE | Follow the Prime Minister’s statement from the site of @Nexter_Group in Roane. https://t.co/N1k8Mn7iuG

— Government (@gouvernementFR) February 19, 2022

Anyway, Nexter advances, it will be “109 CAESAr 6×6 Mark II which will be delivered to the artillery regiment of the French army by 2031”. The industrialist also indicates that the market he has just obtained “also includes an initial lump sum support service for future artillery systems for a period of two years”.

In detail, this new version of the CAESAr will have a level 2 armored cabin offering gunners better protection against improvised explosive devices [IED] and small caliber ammunition, improved fire control software, the BARAGE jammer designed by Thales and the new CONTACT radio.

The CAESAr being produced jointly with Arquus, it will be up to the latter to “rethink” the mobility of this artillery system, with a motorization twice as powerful [460 CV contre 215 CV]a new chassis and an automatic gearbox.

“The new generation of CAESAR 6×6 retains the artillery system of the current configuration which has proven itself in operations [plus de 100 000 coups tirés en OPEX depuis 2009] and which has made its export success”, underlines Nexter.

In addition, Mr. Castex also announced the notification, in the coming weeks, of orders for 302 multi-role armored vehicles. [VBMR] Griffon and 88 armored reconnaissance and combat vehicles [EBRC] Jaguar as well as the launch of the production of the 54 Griffon MEPAC [Mortier Embarqué Pour l’Appui au Contact] intended for artillery. The total amount of these contracts amounts to 1.2 billion euros.