Russia has destroyed 4 of the 67 Caesar self-propelled howitzers delivered to Ukraine, in accordance with a report by the Spanish protection outlet Infodefensa. These howitzers, produced in France, are thought-about the crown jewel of French artillery.
Three further Caesar howitzers have been reported broken, although the precise trigger was not disclosed. This implies Ukraine has misplaced simply seven out of the 67 Caesar models it obtained, primarily based on an evaluation by the French journal Le Level, which seemingly drew from photograph proof offered by the Dutch web site Oryxspioenkop.
The preliminary batch of 12 models, equipped straight from France, was adopted by additional deliveries from a number of international locations, rising the overall to 60. Denmark contributed 19 models, which have been ordered straight from the producer, French protection big Nexter [now part of the European defense group KNDS, alongside Germany’s KMW]. Belgium lately added three models from a complete order of 28, and a Franco-Danish initiative earlier this yr dedicated to a different 72 models. Regardless of this, Ukraine has solely obtained 67 Caesar howitzers, with a promise of 154 in whole.
These self-propelled artillery models have been among the many first main Western-supplied techniques that Ukraine obtained following Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Simply three months into the battle, the Ukrainian Ministry of Protection launched a video showcasing their gratitude, exhibiting one of many obtained Caesar models transferring and firing shells, highlighting the superior capabilities of this 155mm howitzer.
The Caesar is among the most superior artillery techniques on the planet, famend for its mobility and firepower. Manufactured by Nexter Methods, the Caesar is constructed on a 6×6 wheeled platform that ensures very good maneuverability and speedy deployment. It has a size of seven.7 meters, a width of two.5 meters, and weighs roughly 18 tons. Regardless of its comparatively compact design, it could actually attain speeds of as much as 80 km/h on paved roads and 50 km/h off-road, making it extremely cellular in quite a lot of terrain.
The Caesar’s major fight part is a 155mm gun, able to firing commonplace rounds as much as 40 kilometers in vary, and as much as 55 kilometers with precision-guided munitions just like the GPS-guided Excalibur shells.
The weapon can fireplace as much as 6 rounds per minute, due to its automated loading and concentrating on techniques, that are powered by a complicated fireplace management system. This enables the Caesar to have interaction targets with a excessive stage of precision, utilizing quite a lot of munitions, together with high-explosive, armor-piercing, cluster, and good projectiles designed for pinpoint strikes on a variety of targets.
The Caesar’s fireplace management system integrates an onboard laptop platform that facilitates fast concentrating on and automated goal recognition. The first navigation system consists of GPS, with backup inertial navigation [INS] for accuracy even in environments the place GPS alerts are compromised.
The system additionally employs digital radios for real-time knowledge trade with command posts and different artillery models, enabling fast changes and speedy responses to altering battlefield situations. This real-time integration permits the Caesar to successfully assess conditions and ship fireplace assist in simply minutes.
Along with its fireplace management, the Caesar is provided with superior sensor techniques, together with optical and infrared cameras, goal detection sensors, and ballistic computer systems that calculate and regulate projectile trajectories in actual time.
This expertise allows the howitzer to keep up spectacular accuracy, even throughout “shoot-and-scoot” operations at quick ranges. The Caesar’s precision is additional enhanced by refined ballistics gear that takes under consideration environmental components similar to wind velocity and temperature, which might have an effect on the trajectory of a shell.
One of many standout options of the Caesar is its operational vary and speedy deployment. It might deploy and start firing inside minutes of reaching a brand new place, and its built-in navigation and sensor techniques enable it to rapidly relocate after finishing a mission.
This helps decrease publicity to enemy counterattacks, guaranteeing that the Caesar stays a extremely efficient device on the battlefield for prolonged intervals. The system’s vary extends as much as 500 kilometers, relying on its gasoline provide and the terrain, permitting it to function successfully at lengthy distances from its base of operations.
One other main benefit of the Caesar is its distant management functionality. Operators can handle the howitzer from a secure distance utilizing sensors and video feeds, which significantly improves crew security, particularly in hostile situations. Moreover, the Caesar will be built-in into bigger command networks, permitting it to function in live performance with different artillery models, in addition to air and naval forces. This interoperability makes it a vital piece of contemporary, networked warfare techniques.
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