A Ukrainian Army artillery unit in the Donbas region has been quickly getting up to speed with the latest long-range artillery import, the French Caesar howitzer. The self-propelled 155mm gun can hit targets up to 38 kilometers away and is highly mobile. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, France sent 12 CAESARs to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that On 22 April 2022, 40 Ukrainian soldiers arrived in France for training on the system. Now operated by the 55th Artillery Brigade. The provision of six more CAESAR howitzers was announced by President Macron on June 16, 2022, bringing the total number donated to 18.
The CAESAR (CAmion Équipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie; English: Truck equipped with an artillery system) is a French self-propelled 155 mm, 52-calibre, howitzer installed on a 6×6 or 8×8 truck chassis. It is capable of firing all 39/52 caliber NATO-standard shells. Equipped with an autonomous weapon network incorporating an inertial navigation system and ballistic computer, the CAESAR can notably accurately strike targets more than 40 kilometres (25 mi) away using Base Bleed ERFB ammunition or targets over 55 kilometres (34 mi) away using rocket assisted or smart ammunition. Units manufactured for the French Army use a 6×6 Renault Sherpa 5 chassis. The CAESAR platform was developed by French defense contractor GIAT Industries (now known as Nexter) and has been exported to various countries including Belgium, Denmark, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.