In September 2021, the Czech Republic confirmed the order for 52 CAESAr [Camions équipés d’un système d’artillerie] in 8×8 version with the French group Nexter. Worth an estimated 335 million euros, this contract planned to involve local industry – in particular Tatra – up to 40%.
Since then, the CAESAr, whose 6×6 version in service with the Army has demonstrated its qualities in Ukraine, has been retained by Belgium [28 unités] and Lithuania [pour 18 exemplaires]. In addition, a program was launched last February by the Ministry of the Armed Forces to develop a new generation CAESAr, which should be better protected and have a more powerful engine.
“By selecting the CAESAr in its eight-wheel-drive version, the Czech Ministry of Defense is choosing a system perfectly suited to high-intensity combat,” argued Nexter, welcoming the choice that Prague had just made there. a little over a year old.
In view of the feedback [RETEX] of the war in Ukraine and its consequences on security in Europe, the Czech general staff probably had to consider that the 52 CAESAr ordered in 2021 were not numerous enough. Hence the announcement made on December 16.
Indeed, the spokesperson for the Czech Ministry of Defense, David Šebek, indicated that an amendment to the contract in force had just been signed on December 15 with Olivier Travert, the vice-president of Nexter Systems, in order to increase the number of CAESAr 8×8 expected by the Czech army in 62 copies.
In addition to the already ordered 52 cannons, the army will acquire an additional 10 pieces of the modern self-propelled CAESAR cannon. Deputy Minister of Defense Lubor Koudelka and Vice President of the French state company NEXTER SYSTEMS Olivier Travert signed the contract amendment on Wednesday.
????https://t.co/HX6ivOcb7Z pic.twitter.com/CkO026mKgC— Ministry of Defense (@ObranaTweetuje) December 16, 2022
The amount of the order placed for these ten additional CAESAr amounts to 1.77 billion Czech crowns, or approximately 73 million euros. Their delivery should be completed in 2026.
At the same time, the Czech STV Group, which had already been selected to supply these CAESAr with 155 mm shells and modular charges, will have to supply “tens of thousands” of additional ammunition.
Thus, the “Ministry responded not only to the deterioration of security in the world by accelerating modernization projects but also by completing the number of equipment to be acquired at the request of the army”, argued Mr. Šebek .
With these additional CAESAr, “we are taking a new step towards the essential modernization of our army and reducing the internal debt that we still have towards it”, justified Jana Černochová, the Czech Ministry of Defence.
As a reminder, intended to replace the 152 mm Dana ZTS self-propelled howitzers in service for more than 40 years, the Czech CAESAr 8×8 have a mass in combat order of 32 tons. Equipped with an inertial unit for land navigation and gun aiming, a muzzle radar and a ballistic computer, they can fire all NATO standard ERFB ammunition as well as BONUS type shells against targets located between 40 and 50 km away.