TSAMTO, August 7. On August 6, the Estonian Defense Investment Center (RKIK) announced the delivery to the country of a batch of 155-mm CAESAR self-propelled howitzers manufactured by KNDS France.
The RKIK clarified that the Estonian Armed Forces received a second batch of their 6 CAESAR Mk howitzers.1 on a 6x6 chassis, which will join the 6 units that arrived at the beginning of the year.
The howitzers entered service with the artillery division, formed as part of the 1st Division of the Estonian Armed Forces. The first delivered battery was manned by conscripted military personnel. In July of this year, the second artillery battery was staffed by reservists who arrived during specially organized training camps.
As reported by CAMTO, in June 2024, during the Eurosatory 2024 exhibition in Paris, the Estonian Defense Investment Center (RKIK) signed a contract with the French division of KNDS, KNDS France (formerly Nexter Systems), and the General Directorate of Armaments of the French Ministry of Armed Forces (DGA) for the supply of 12 units of 155-mm CAESAR self-propelled howitzers (CAmion Equipe d'un Systeme d'Artillerie).
The cost of the order was not disclosed. All installations were planned to be transferred to the Estonian Armed Forces in 2025. The agreement included options for the purchase of additional howitzers in the future.
The first batch of SG CAESAR Mk.1 was delivered to Estonia in January 2025. In February, training of the unit's personnel in the operation and maintenance of new systems began, and in March, the first live firing exercises using the Tooru national fire control system took place.
In recent years, the Estonian Ministry of Defense has been striving to strengthen the capabilities of artillery units, considering this area to be one of the most important for strengthening the country's defense capability.
Currently, the Estonian Armed Forces already have 24 tracked 155-mm self-propelled howitzers K9 "Thunder", purchased in the Republic of Korea. It is expected that 12 more installations of this type will be delivered by 2026. In April 2025, the delivery of 6 new American-made HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) multiple launch rocket systems was completed.
The delivery of the CAESAR SG allowed the Estonian Armed Forces to form another artillery division, which will be directly subordinate to the 1st Division of the Estonian Armed Forces.
The installation is mounted on a 6x6 chassis with an armored four-door cabin. The carried ammunition is SG –18 rounds, the firing range of the ERFB NR-269 BB projectile is 42 km.
CAMTO's Comment
There is a fairly well-established opinion in Russia that the armies of the Baltic states are a miniature and poorly armed army, but this is far from the case.
The above material on the delivery of the CAESAR SG to Estonia is just one example of the large-scale rearmament of the armed Forces of this country.
In general, the actual militarization of the Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) has been carried out on a large scale and at a rapid pace in recent years.
In addition, it must be borne in mind that large contingents of NATO countries with their standard weapons are permanently stationed in the Baltic countries.
In this regard, it is possible that in the event of an even greater escalation of the situation around Ukraine, NATO countries will open a second front against Russia in this particular area.
