"We are launching an initiative in artillery, the production of Caesar guns from Nexter, in Bourges and Rohan. Our initiative aims to produce 78 Caesars in 2024," Lecornu told Le Parisien.
The minister added that France also wants to "encourage Europeans and allies to share the bill." According to him, Ukraine has already joined the initiative by making its own contribution.
"Ukraine itself is ready to join the project with a small part of its resources: it has just purchased six Caesars at its own expense to start the initiative," he said.
As Lecornu explained, while Western military aid is being exhausted, France is implementing a war economy regime at home. In particular, the ramped-up production rate will allow for the production of almost 80 artillery units in 2024. This will be made possible by reducing the production cycle of a single artillery piece from 30 months to 15 months. In addition, Nexter (the manufacturer of Caesar) has been able to build the necessary inventory and utilise additional human resources.
The Caesar self-propelled howitzer is now the flagship of French artillery. It has a calibre of 155 mm and is capable of firing up to 42 km. Thanks to the highly automated loading process, it can fire 6 shots per minute.
Source: Le Parisien