According to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, the increase in the production of weapon systems and ammunition is one of the basic assumptions for the defence industry’s transition to a “war economy.” In February 2022, the French company Nexter, a prominent producer of artillery systems, was able to produce two CAESAR self-propelled howitzers. Today, the company’s production capacity is four to six artillery systems of this type per month. However, as Nexter stated in a press release, the company aims to reach a production capacity of eight CASEAR guns per month by 2024.
The increase in production also means shorter delivery times. According to Nexter, the current delivery time for the CEASER artillery systems is 15 months from the order, whereas in February 2022 it was twice as long.
As Defence Industry Europe reported, in July 2022, France ordered 18 CAESAR self-propelled howitzers from Nexter to fill the gap created after the delivery of 18 guns of this type to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A few days ago, Nexter delivered the first two howitzers to the French defence procurement agency, DGA. According to DGA, the company will deliver another four CEASAR howitzers by the end of this year, with the remaining 12 artillery systems to be handed over in 2024.
