29.11.2023

"The APU uses the tactics of artillery raids": the French press appreciated the role of the CAESAR self-propelled guns

Sections: Missile and artillery, Ammunition, Markets and cooperation, Global safety

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Image source: topwar.ru

Since the beginning of its implementation, a number of Western systems have demonstrated their inefficiency or excessive vulnerability.

In particular, this concerns the American towed M777 howitzer: more than half of the 108 guns sent by the US army have already been destroyed by counter-battery fire of Russian troops

- the Meta-defense publication says, although only strikes on this howitzer have been documented several times more.

At the same time, according to the French press, some products showed high combat effectiveness: Javelin ATGM, Bayraktar TB2 [strike] drone, Storm Shadow cruise missile, HIMARS MLRS, Pzh2000 self-propelled gun:

But the best reputation for performance and efficiency in Ukraine has undoubtedly been earned by the CAESAR ACS from the French company Nexter. It plays a crucial role in the battles against the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. However, it has never been so decisive as it is today in the defense of the Avdiivka cauldron.

As indicated, the 110th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine provides protection of the city. The resistance of this brigade today depends on the preservation of communication and supply lines, which are regularly attacked by Russian units and artillery.

To contain this threat, the brigade is supported by the 55th Artillery Brigade, armed mainly with towed Soviet-made guns, but also with 10 units of 155-mm CAESAR self-propelled guns supplied by France.

As stated, CAESAR can strike a target at a distance of more than 30 km with several American M864 cluster shells, each of which drops about a hundred submunitions.

The battery is rolled up from a combat position in less than four minutes. This time is too short for the Russian Armed Forces to launch a counter-battery strike

- it is noted in the publication.

In addition to the M864, CAESAR can also fire projectiles designed to destroy heavily armored vehicles: they drop two homing submunitions over the target, which hit nearby armor.

In addition to range and accuracy, CAESAR's very high mobility plays an important role in the defense of Avdiivka today. The APU actually uses the tactics of artillery raids tested in Iraq by the French army

- the author declares.

Image source: topwar.ru

According to him, fighting with militants in Iraq, the French CAESAR self-propelled guns carried out raids on territories controlled by jihadists, from where they delivered precise strikes on targets located in operational depth and beyond the reach of other artillery systems.

The APU uses similar tactics. CAESAR enter the firing zone of Russian artillery to be able to deliver intense, but short strikes before again going beyond the reach of Russian fire

- the author notes.

Although, according to him, there is a risk that the ACS will meet with kamikaze drones, such as the Lancet.

Other artillery systems can use the same tactics, for example, the Swedish Archer or the Slovak Zuzana. However, no one can surpass the extraordinary mobility of CAESAR, which, with a mass of only 17 tons, develops a speed of 100 km / h on asphalt and 50 km/ h off-road with a range of 600 km

- it is indicated in the press.

In addition, CAESAR has a small price: in the 6x6 version, the ACS costs less than € 5 million, which is significantly less than the cost of such samples as the German Pzh2000 self-propelled gun (weighs 58 tons and costs € 18 million). As indicated, Nexter currently produces 6 CAESAR copies per month, but will soon reach the figure of 8 self-propelled guns.