France to ramp up materiel support for Ukraine with 79 Caesar howitzers – Lecornu

France will produce 78 Caesar self-propelled artillery units for the needs of the Ukrainian army, announced the country's defense minister, Sébastien Lecornu, in an interview with Le Parisien.

The Caesar self-propelled gun has a caliber of 155 mm and is capable of firing at a distance of up to 42 km, firing about six shots per minute.

Non-contact detonators for Caesar self-propelled guns provide an opportunity to detonate projectiles in the air, before direct contact with a target or any surface. The artillery unit can move at a speed of 80 km/h on the road and 50 km/h off-road.

"While Western military aid is running out, France is implementing a war economy regime," said the French defense chief, noting that Ukraine itself is ready to invest part of its resources in armaments.

Lecornu added that Ukraine "just purchased six systems with its own funds to launch the initiative."

On November 30, 2023, French weapons engineer General Jean-François Doc arrived in Kyiv and met with Deputy Minister Dmytro Klymenkov and Ivan Havryliuk. Doc said he understands Ukraine's needs and vowed to increase ammunition supplies next year.

On April 22, 2022, France decided to provide Ukraine with 12 Caesar self-propelled guns of 155 mm caliber.

On January 19, 2023, the Danish government and parliament decided to transfer 19 Caesar self-propelled guns to Ukraine. On April 20, the first artillery systems were transferred to Ukraine.