Defense News

France

French artillery manufacturer Nexter, a key player in the defense sector, is bolstering its production of self-propelled howitzers. The company, a part of the KNDS group, is notably ramping up the manufacturing of the CAESAR artillery systems.

During a visit to the Nexter facility on April 2, French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu announced the company's efforts to increase CAESAR production. This move is directly tied to France's support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Previously capable of producing two CAESAR howitzers per month in 2022, Nexter has now tripled its output, reaching a level of 6 howitzers monthly. Minister Lecornu revealed that the company aims to further double this rate, reaching 12 CAESAR howitzers per month, though he didn't specify an exact timeline for achieving this goal, only mentioning it would occur "soon".

The increase in production has been made feasible by reducing the time needed to manufacture the artillery system. Currently, the production cycle for a CAESAR howitzer spans 44 months, but Nexter plans to slash this to just 18 months. The CAESAR, a 155mm caliber artillery system, has proven its effectiveness in real combat situations, notably in Ukraine.

According to official information from the French Ministry of Armed Forces, France has supplied the Armed Forces of Ukraine with 30 CAESAR howitzers on a 6×6 chassis configuration. Additionally, Denmark has contributed to Ukraine's defense efforts by delivering 19 howitzers on an 8×8 chassis.