CAESAR self-propelled howitzers for Morocco
Morocco ← 
FranceDeal progress
Current status: Delivered — latest milestone in 2022. Not every deal goes through every stage; a government sale approval, for example, applies only in some supplier countries.
Deal details
The deal covers CAESAR self-propelled howitzers for Morocco, supplied by France; KNDS France is listed as the manufacturer. It is classed under artillery and rocket launchers. The announced quantity is 36 howitzers, and no value has been officially disclosed.
The deal has reached the delivery or in-service stage, with its most recent major milestone in 2022.
Details: Ordered in 2020; deliveries began in 2022.
What is the CAESAR self-propelled howitzer?
CAESAR is a truck-mounted 155 mm howitzer with a 52-calibre barrel, developed and built by KNDS France, formerly Nexter. The name is a French acronym for a truck equipped with an artillery system. The first production units were delivered to the French Army in July 2008, and the company says more than 600 systems are now in service or on order.
The gun has been used in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Mali, the Sahel and Iraq, and then in Ukraine, which has become one of its biggest users. Besides France, operators include Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Indonesia, Thailand, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Lithuania and Armenia.
How it works and what sets it apart
The basic idea is to deliver the firepower of heavy artillery at lower weight and cost than tracked guns. The system weighs under 18 tonnes, moves on roads at truck speed and can be airlifted in C-130s and A400Ms. A crew of 3 to 5 can bring it into action in less than 45 seconds and finish firing and pull out in about the same time, which helped it survive in Ukraine despite having no heavy armour.
It fires 6 rounds a minute, with a maximum range of 38.6 to 55 km depending on the ammunition and a minimum range of 4.5 km. It comes in three configurations: the original on a six-wheel-drive truck, an eight-wheel-drive version that carries more ammunition and has been adopted by Denmark and the Czech Republic, and the newer MkII with a better-protected cab and a new chassis. KNDS says CAESAR systems have together covered more than 3 million km and fired more than 300,000 rounds. In 2022 Morocco ordered a further batch of the guns from France to add to those already held by its Royal Armed Forces.
Key specifications
| Role | Wheeled mobile artillery support |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | KNDS France (formerly Nexter) |
| Calibre | 155 mm / 52 calibre |
| Entered service | 2008 (French Army) |
| Crew | 3–5 |
| Combat weight | Under 18 tonnes (6×6 version) |
| Range | 38.6–55 km depending on ammunition |
| Rate of fire | 6 rounds/min |
| Air transport | C-130, A400M, C-17 |
