Olivier Travert, Marketing and Sales Director at KNDS France, confirmed that by mid-October 2025, Ukraine is operating approximately 120 CAESAR 155 mm truck-mounted howitzers on the front lines. The milestone represents a shift from boutique donations to full-scale fleet deployment — reshaping counter-battery dynamics, survivability lessons, and procurement planning for future artillery forces.
Reported on 13 October 2025, this development marks a significant expansion in Ukraine’s long-range firepower. Western wheeled artillery, once limited to small batches, has now matured into a large-scale combat fleet — enabling quicker counter-battery actions and precision strikes. For industry observers, the system’s sustained use under high-attrition conditions validates its resilience, adaptability, and relevance for future force structures.
The CAESAR is a 155 mm/52-caliber self-propelled gun mounted on a high-mobility truck chassis. It features a digital fire-control suite, GPS/inertial navigation, and automated laying functions, allowing crews to deploy, fire, and displace within seconds. The wheeled configuration reduces logistics demands, maintenance costs, and simplifies air transport — ideal for “shoot-and-scoot” tactics under drone and radar surveillance.
Operationally, Ukraine’s wartime experience has accelerated CAESAR’s evolution. With thousands of rounds fired across varied terrains, the system has benefited from iterative upgrades such as protected cabs, software refinements, and multi-platform integration. Similar to Germany’s PzH 2000 or Sweden’s Archer, CAESAR’s maturation reflects battlefield-driven innovation emphasizing mobility, automation, and reliability.
CAESAR’s key strength lies in balance: it offers the range and accuracy of tracked artillery while maintaining the mobility and cost-efficiency of a truck platform. Compared to tracked systems, it delivers faster road marches and lower sustainment costs; against other wheeled models, it prioritizes light weight, agility, and advanced digital control — ideal for dispersed, high-tempo operations.
Strategically, a 120-gun CAESAR fleet redefines the geometry of fires across Ukraine’s front lines. It links European industrial output directly to Kyiv’s combat effectiveness, signaling to NATO allies and defense partners that wheeled howitzers can scale, survive, and sustain high-intensity warfare. The expansion also enhances Ukraine’s counter-battery reach, enabling rapid coordination with UAV spotters and electronic warfare units.
Economically, CAESAR’s advantage lies in lifecycle cost efficiency — commercial-grade components, wheeled drivetrains, and simplified maintenance reduce overall expenditure per operational effect. KNDS France’s ongoing collaboration with Leonardo DRS positions the system for future U.S. programs, highlighting the model’s export potential.
Ultimately, the deployment of 120 CAESARs is not just a statistic but a signal — proving that a lightweight, mobile, digitally networked artillery concept can scale effectively under fire. For defense planners, it validates investments in wheeled 155 mm systems and underscores the importance of robust ammunition supply chains, counter-battery sensors, and industrial partnerships that turn battlefield experience into enduring capability.
