France to procure additional artillery

The French Army currently operates 74 CAESAR Mark I self-propelled howitzers (while awaiting delivery of an additional 12 units to replenish systems donated to Ukraine), as well as 32 older AMX-30 AuF1 howitzers. The latter are to be replaced in the near future by the newer CAESAR Mark II variant, of which Paris plans to acquire 109 units in total. The first 33 were initially expected to enter service by June 2026.

Expansion of French Artillery

Towed TRF1 howitzers have already been withdrawn from service and, at least in part, transferred to Ukraine. In October 2025, French Army Chief of Staff General Pierre Schill announced during a parliamentary defence committee session on the 2026 budget that the first 10 CAESAR Mark II systems would be delivered in 2026, in line with earlier statements by the DGA from February 2024.

The 2026 defence budget draft includes provisions for the procurement of additional CAESAR Mark II systems. It was initially speculated that this could amount to around 40 units, enabling either an expansion of artillery formations or the withdrawal (and potentially sale or transfer) of legacy systems to allied countries.

Assuming that legacy systems are retained, this would result in a notional inventory of 149 CAESAR Mark II systems, alongside 74 Mark I units and approximately 32 AMX-30 AuF1 howitzers in reserve (although maintaining the latter in operational condition is increasingly problematic and they are unlikely to remain in active service).

However, according to French Philippe Top-Action, the additional order may in fact be limited to just 11 systems. This would bring the total fleet to approximately 120 CAESAR Mark II units by 2030, representing a modest net increase in France’s tube artillery inventory (by 14 examples, realistically less than in case of the AMX 30 AuF1 howitzers).

150 New CAESARs by 2035?

The updated French Military Programming Law (LPM) for 2024–2030 is expected to provide for a combined fleet of 120 CAESAR Mark I and Mark II systems by 2030. As a result, some of the older Mark I systems will be moved to reserve status and either stored or transferred abroad — the latter being a likely outcome given the strong international demand for these systems. 

Ultimately, the number of CAESAR Mark II systems is expected to rise to 150 by 2035. This implies the procurement of an additional 41 units and the phased withdrawal of the Mark I variant from active service. The acquisition may be implemented in two stages. 

The CAESAR Mark II (also referred to as CAESAR NG) is an upgraded version of the wheeled self-propelled howitzer developed by a consortium of French defence companies, including KNDS France (formerly Nexter), Arquus and Safran. The development contract was signed in February 2022.  The main armament remains unchanged: a 155 mm L/52 gun-howitzer (approximately 8 metres in barrel length), with a maximum range exceeding 40 km when firing base bleed high-explosive rounds. As with the previous version, it is compatible with a wide range of JBMoU-standard ammunition, including conventional HE rounds, BONUS armour-piercing munitions, and the new Katana 155 mm guided projectiles. The onboard ammunition capacity is 18 rounds with propellant charges. 

The platform is based on a militarised Renault Sherpa truck chassis, now featuring an improved armoured cab providing STANAG 4569 Level 2 protection. Mobility has been enhanced through the integration of a more powerful 460 horsepower engine coupled with an automatic transmission. The vehicle’s weight is approximately 26.7 tonnes.  Additional improvements include an upgraded fire control system (supported by artificial intelligence), the CONTACT radio communication system, and the Barrage electronic countermeasure system developed by Thales, designed to counter radio-controlled improvised explosive devices. To date, the CAESAR Mark II has been ordered by several countries, including France, Lithuania, Belgium, Slovenia and Portugal.