1 What is the Caesar cannon?
2 Where Were Caesar Weapons Used?
3 The Caesar, a gun that sells well?
4 How many Caesars will be delivered to Ukraine?
The flagship of the French defense industry, the Caesar is a 155mm self-propelled gun mounted on an all-terrain truck. It can fire six shells per minute at a target up to 40 kilometers away. It was designed by Nexter and manufactured in Roanne (Loire). “Caesar breaks free from the severe limitations of traditional artillery systems, requiring only the designation of a target to hit it in minutes, regardless of weather conditions. [tout en offrant] the best protection for its crew,” explains the Armement Innovations website.
The Caesar first deployed overseas for French forces in Afghanistan in the summer of 2009. She was subsequently used by the French Army in Lebanon for UNIFIL forces. In 2013, four Caesars were sent to Mali as part of Operation Serval. But also three years later in Iraq.
In 2020, Nexter sold 401 Caesar-equipped vehicles, 80% of which were exported. Customers include Belgium, Indonesia, Morocco, Thailand and Denmark.
The use of the Caesar is also suspected in Saudi Arabia: According to the investigative media, France is said to have supplied it to the Saudi armed forces in the conflict they faced in Yemen. Shots from these French cannons would have been the cause of civilian deaths, which the French state denies.
Emmanuel Macron announced in Ouest France that a shipment of Caesar weapons was “underway” to be operational “early May”. The Élysée does not want to disclose the exact number of weapons supplied. But according to the Meta Defense website, a dozen Caesar artillery systems could be donated to Kyiv. They “are taken from the inventory of French systems [qui en compte 76]without affecting the staffing of the systems in the regiments”.
Our life about the war in Ukraine
Heavy weapons that will complement those already sent by France to Ukraine: Milan anti-tank missiles, thousands of grenades… In addition, from this Saturday about forty Ukrainian soldiers must arrive in France to be trained in the use of the Caesar.