The Czech Republic has ordered 10 more Caesar self-propelled howitzers from French weapons manufacturer Nexter Systems.
The country initially purchased 52 Caesar howitzers, with the additional order increasing the contract’s total value to 1.77 billion Czech koruna ($452 million).
The agreement, signed by Deputy Minister of Defense Lubor Koudelka and Nexter Systems Vice President Olivier Travert, also included “tens of thousands” of cartridges for the artillery system.
According to the ministry, acquiring more modern weapon systems will help Prague respond to the deteriorating global security situation.
It would also enable the army enough firepower to fully carry out missions such as defending its territory or supporting strategic allies.
“By purchasing these guns, we are taking another step towards the much-needed modernization of our army and reducing the internal debt we still have towards the army,” Czech Ministry of Defense Jana Černochová said.
“I am very happy that by concluding the addendum, we also managed to reserve capacity for the Czech Republic in production lines that are hopelessly occupied for the next few years due to the war in Ukraine.”
Replacing Dana Guns
Nexter’s Caesar howitzer is a 155-millimeter, 52-caliber self-propelled gun with all the systems needed for an independent military operation.
It has a solid cabin to protect its six-man crew from enemy small arms fire and explosive devices.
The weapon also has sophisticated instrumentation for aiming, navigation, ballistic calculations, and command aids.
The Caesars are set to replace the Czech Republic’s aging Dana cannons, which have been in service for more than 40 years.
The Dana cannons, which use 152-millimeter ammunition, do not meet NATO requirements for range and caliber used by international partners, as they can only hit targets up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) away.
In contrast, the Caesar can reach targets at distances of up to 40 kilometers (25 miles).