Czech military bolsters firepower with local CAESAR 8x8 howitzers
The Czech armed forces are expected to receive their first ordered CAESAR 8x8 howitzers in 2026, which will be produced locally. Here are the details of the tender and the performance of the equipment tested in Ukraine.
Under the contract from 2021 for 52 howitzers and an annex from 2022 for ten more, starting in 2026, the Czech Republic will receive CAESAR 8x8 howitzers. According to the agreement, these will be locally produced by the company Excalibur Army.
Local production and some controversy
The first two prototypes have already been created, and serial production is set to start in June 2025. The KNDS corporation reports that 40% of the CAESAR will be based on elements supplied by the Czech industry. For example, Retia is responsible for communication equipment and the fire control system, while Tatra Defence Vehicles and Tatra Trucks are responsible for the cabin and chassis. STV leads the process of certifying Czech 155 mm ammunition.
It's worth noting that the selection of CAESAR by the Czech armed forces may seem controversial, as the Czech industry already has competitors, such as the DITA howitzer, which is supplied, among others, to Ukraine, or the MORANA demonstrator. However, during the CAESAR tender, these were not ready, and the requirements called for a complete system with NATO certifications. The only other option at the time was the Slovak Zuzana 2 howitzer.
CAESAR 8x8 - An expeditionary howitzer adapted to war conditions
CAESAR howitzers have become popular among many countries looking for a modern and cost-effective 155 mm howitzer. The base variant was based on a six-wheeled Renault Sherpa 10 or Unimog chassis and weighed approximately 18,000 kg, facilitating air transport.
This was achieved, among other things, by using an unarmoured cabin, which is not suitable for use in full-scale war. For this purpose, Denmark and the Czech Republic demanded the development of a heavier version with an armoured cabin in class 3 of the STANAG 4569 standard. As a result, an eight-wheeled Tatra Defence chassis was used, and the howitzer's weight increased to about 32,000 kg.
Besides the armoured cabin, the CAESAR 8x8 carries a larger stock of ammunition, totalling 36 rounds, and is equipped with a semi-automatic loading mechanism, which facilitates the work of a crew of at least three. The rest remained unchanged, with the system's core still being a 155 mm gun, 52 calibres in length, with a modern fire control system capable of firing in MRSI mode.
The firing rate of the CAESAR is six rounds per minute, and the range spans approximately 30 km to 60 km, depending on the ammunition used, which ranges from standard base-bleed shells to shells with a rocket booster.
Moreover, the CAESAR can utilize experimental Vulcan GLR 155 sub-calibre shells with a range of up to 80 km, or self-targeting Bonus shells capable of destroying even the most advanced Russian tanks. It's worth noting that 19 units of this version were handed over to Ukraine by Denmark, and so far, they have fired over 40,000 shells toward the Russians.
