France promises to speed up delivery of Caesar howitzers to Lithuania

France has promised to speed up the delivery of new generation Caesar Mark II wheeled self-propelled 155-mm howitzers to Lithuania.

This was discussed at a meeting between Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas and his French counterpart Sebastian Lecorne, according to Evropeiska Pravda.

"I welcome the successful practical cooperation between our artillery specialists. With the acquisition of French Caesar howitzers, we are significantly strengthening the capabilities of our Armed Forces. This is especially important now that we have decided to develop a national division," Anusauskas said.

Lithuania joined the Caesar Mark II development program last year. It will be an upgraded version of the Caesar-wheeled artillery system used by the French armed forces.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense plans to spend about 110-150 million euros on the entire project. These funds will be used both for the development and purchase of the systems and for their deployment in the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

The delivery date for the howitzers to the Lithuanian army is 2027, but France has promised to speed up the process.

Author - Olena Madiak, 16/06/2023