Since the beginning of russian full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine acquired a total of 49 CAESAR self-propelled artillery systems, only 18 of them transferred in 2022, followed by larger batches in 2023. The figure includes 30 French howitzers on wheeled 6x6 chassis and 19 more bulky Danish ones mounted on 8x8, provided as military aid.
Now the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine plans to buy additional CAESARs in 2024, although the artillery system has received a mixed reputation among Ukrainian military personnel, as reported by the French website Opex360.
Read more: After More Than Six Months of Fighting In Ukraine the CAESAR SPG Got Problems With Repairs And New Barrels
The authors refer to an interview with a Ukrainian officer published in Le Monde newspaper. The artilleryman says the CAESAR features good accuracy and a high rate of fire but is poorly adapted for use in the field and firing from open positions.
In particular, the CAESAR's delicate electronics require careful maintenance which has to be done in surgical gloves because even the tiniest bit of mud can render the self-propelled gun inoperable.
Also, the article quotes the Ukrainian artilleryman as saying he would rather choose an M777 if he had to open fire from an exposed position, since this towed howitzer is easier to displace to its transport configuration and start moving. CAESAR would take more time, increasing the risk of getting hit by a russian Lancet loitering munition.
Despite these challenges, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine views the CAESAR as a good artillery system and plans to conduct tests at adapting artificial intelligence to this self-propelled gun. The integration of AI is expected to reduce the ammunition spending by 30% with better aiming and hence increased hit rate.
The ministry also expressed its intention to purchase additional CAESAR self-propelled guns in 2024.
Read more: France Financed Additional CAESAR Artillery Systems for Ukraine
