As confirmed by a French parliamentary report submitted by Deputies Jean-Louis Thiériot and Matthieu Bloch on April 30, 2025, a detailed technical-operational study aimed at preparing the successor to France’s CAESAR artillery system is scheduled for launch in 2025. This initiative reflects growing concern within the French defense establishment that current and planned artillery capabilities, even with the introduction of the CAESAR Mk2, will not fully address the strategic and operational requirements expected in the 2040s.
The study is expected to center on four key axes of development: increased firing range, enhanced automation, greater precision, and advanced robotic integration. It is being launched independently of the delayed Franco-German Common Indirect Fire System (CIFS), which has now been pushed back to a notional 2045 delivery timeline.
As of December 31, 2023, the French Army maintained 78 155mm artillery systems, a number that included both the older CAESAR Mk1 models and the tracked AUF1 howitzers. Since then, the CAESAR inventory has been reduced due to transfers to Ukraine, where the system has been well-received by Ukrainian artillery units. According to General Éric Lendroit, commander of the artillery coalition for Ukraine, Ukrainian forces have praised the CAESAR for its high mobility, rapid deployment and withdrawal capabilities, precision, resilience under sustained fire, and robustness in field repair scenarios.
Its 600-kilometer autonomy, compact dimensions that reduce detection risks, and lack of tracked footprints were all cited as operational advantages over similar foreign systems. Currently, the French Army operates 63 CAESAR systems and 32 AUF1s. However, the AUF1 fleet is slated for retirement following a decision made in March 2025, with the schedule contingent on CAESAR delivery timelines. Twelve CAESARs are expected to be delivered before summer 2025 to replenish stocks following Ukrainian donations.