On February 1, 2024, the DGA (French Army Procurement Agency) made a significant announcement regarding a procurement aimed at enhancing the French Army’s artillery capabilities. The DGA revealed its order for 109 CAESAr NG Mk II 155mm self-propelled howitzers from the French defense company Nexter, with a contract valued at approximately 350 million euros.
The primary aim of this procurement is to provide the French ground forces with an advanced mobile artillery system, enhancing both their firepower and their long-range support capabilities during military operations.
This development is in line with the provisions of the French military programming law for the years 2024-2030, which seeks to maintain France’s position in the field of artillery systems, taking into account the economic constraints imposed by the defense budget.
France is not the only country investing in CAESAr NG systems. Belgium, for instance, took a significant step in this direction on December 10, 2023. Following the advice of the Belgian Defense Minister, the Belgian government approved the acquisition of 19 CAESAr NG 155mm self-propelled howitzers. This acquisition aims to strengthen the artillery capabilities of the Belgian Army, which currently relies on 120mm mortars and towed 105mm cannons. With these additional units, the Belgian armed forces will soon have a total of 28 CAESAr NG systems, consisting of 24 operational units and 4 designated for military training purposes.
Additionally, Lithuania has also joined the group of countries investing in the CAESAr NG. On December 30, 2022, it was reported that Lithuania had placed an order for 18 units of the CAESAr NG, becoming the third country, following France and Belgium, to acquire this advanced artillery system.