France to Deliver 78 More Caesar Howitzers and 80,000 Shells to Ukraine

Defense News ,Ukraine ,France :- France is gearing up to send 78 more powerful Caesar self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine, announced Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu. This week, he shared that France, along with Denmark and Ukraine, agreed to fund this purchase.

Already, France and Denmark have provided Ukraine with 49 of these Caesars, each valued between $3.3 to $4.4 million. These vehicles boast impressive features: mounted on trucks, they can fire off a volley of six to eight rounds per minute continuously or three rounds within just 15 seconds. Plus, they can hit targets up to 40 kilometers away and zoom down roads at speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour.

On top of the Caesars, Paris is also sending a hefty load of ammunition: 80,000 155mm shells will be shipped to Ukraine this year, significantly increasing from the 30,000 already sent since the conflict began. Minister Lecornu explained that a ramp-up in production rates and repurposing old stocks has made it feasible to aim for 100,000 shells to be received by French forces in 2024, with 80,000 earmarked for Ukraine.

Additionally, France is joining forces with the Czech Republic to secure a whopping 800,000 shells for Ukraine from non-EU sources. The initial batch is expected to arrive before June.