TSAMTO, September 15. On September 13, the Czech government approved the purchase of 52 units of 155-mm CAESAR self-propelled howitzers from the French company Nexter Systems, placed on the Tatra chassis.
The new SG will replace the technically and morally obsolete 152-mm howitzers DANA (Delo automobilni nabijene automaticky), which have been in service for more than four decades.
The decision was made after the report of the Minister of Defense Lubomir Metnar. Earlier, on September 1, 2021, the acquisition was approved by the board of the Ministry of Defense.
According to the prepared draft contract, 52 new CAESAR SG will be adopted by the Czech Armed Forces in the period 2024-2026. The first four units will be assembled in France, and the remaining 48 units will be assembled by Czech companies in the Czech Republic. The heavy Tatra chassis with an 8x8 wheel formula and an armored cab will be supplied by the companies of the Czech holding CSG, which will also provide assembly of howitzers in the country.
The purchase price is 7.04 billion rubles. CZK without VAT or 8.5 billion CZK with VAT (about 344 million euros). The share of the Czech industry in the supply will be about 40% of the contract value.
The price agreed by the parties has passed an expert assessment. It is final and also includes the costs of inspections and tests, the supply of initial sets of ammunition and spare parts, simulators, training of specialists and instructors of the Czech Armed Forces, a two-year warranty, financing of unforeseen expenses associated with the introduction of any new equipment.
It is expected that the signing of the contract between the Ministry of Defense and Nexter Systems will take place before the end of September. The ministry intends to provide more detailed information about the project on the day of signing the contract.
After delivery, the howitzers will be transferred to the 131st and 132nd artillery divisions of the 13th Artillery Regiment, which are currently armed with 48 units of 152-mm vz self-propelled howitzers. 77 DANA.
As stated, the CAESAR SG will allow firing at a range of more than 40 km (20 km for the DANA with a 36-caliber barrel), and the rate of fire will be 6 shots/min. compared to DANA's four. The advantage of purchasing a French howitzer will also be the standard 155 mm caliber for NATO. CAESAR SG can fire a wide range of ammunition, including high-precision ones with GPS or laser guidance. The calculation of the installation will be reduced from five to four people. While a battery with 152-mm self-propelled howitzers requires about 15 minutes. for opening fire from the march, for CAESAR installations, this indicator is reduced by a third. The higher rate of fire of the installation and the efficiency of 155-mm ammunition allows for the same time (15 min.) achieve a higher damaging effect on the target. The CAESAR SG is equipped with a combined inertial/GPS navigation system.