Czech army upgrades artillery with Ukraine-inspired howitzers
The Czech army will receive CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, developed using experiences from the Ukrainian battlefield. Changes will be implemented by the manufacturer at the last minute, as the Czechs placed the order in 2021.
The Czech army is preparing to receive the first batch of these modern self-propelled howitzers. They will replace the outdated DANA howitzers, which will remain in use by the Czech army only until 2027.
Modern CEASAR howitzers
The French manufacturer, KNDS, has introduced design changes to the CAESAR (Camion Équipé d’un Système d’Artillerie) self-propelled howitzers for the Czechs, based on experiences from Ukraine.
"It will be a unique product whose appearance and capabilities reflect experiences from the Ukrainian battlefield," stated the Czech Ministry of Defence.
Two prototypes of the new self-propelled howitzers, part of an order for 62 units, are already undergoing inspection tests. These tests are conducted by the French manufacturer with support from independent national bodies, and the entire process is overseen by the Czech Ministry of Defence.
Utilizing experience from Ukraine
The Czech Republic ordered 52 CAESAR howitzers in September 2021. In December 2022, they increased the order by an additional 10 units. The total cost of the contract is 10.3 billion Czech korunas, which is approximately 630 million CAD. All of the howitzers are to be delivered to the Czech army by the end of 2026.
"Ukraine is a unique testing laboratory for us, something we have never had before. We are building equipment for the next four decades. We want the system to be durable and functional for as long as possible. If we did not use the experiences of Ukrainian artillerymen, we would be spending 10.3 billion korunas unnecessarily," explained Czech military officials.
The Czech Republic opted for a more advanced version of this self-propelled howitzer on an 8×8 chassis (manufactured by the Czech company Tatra). CAESAR uses a 155 mm calibre gun, which is standard for modern NATO artillery.
