Key Points
- Croatia signed a contract to buy 18 CAESAR 6×6 MkII howitzers and 15 Serval armored autos underneath an EU-financed joint procurement framework.
- KNDS stated the order features a full regimental bundle with ATLAS-equipped CAESAR techniques, Thales radios, and related command and logistics belongings.
Croatia has formally signed a contract to amass 18 CAESAR 6×6 MkII self-propelled howitzers and 15 Serval armored autos from French protection producer KNDS, the corporate introduced on December 9.
The settlement is a part of Croatia’s ongoing efforts to modernize its artillery and mechanized forces.
According to a press release from KNDS France, the signing passed off in two phases: first on the KNDS facility in Satory with Croatian Minister of Defense Ivan Anušić, French Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Catherine Vautrin, and KNDS CEO Jean-Paul Alary; and later on the Élysée Palace in Paris within the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
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KNDS stated the acquisition falls underneath a joint procurement mechanism organized by France’s Directorate General of Armament (DGA) and financed by the European Union’s Support to Ammunition and Equipment (SAFE) program.
The order features a full regimental bundle that includes:
- 18 CAESAR MkII 155mm/52-caliber self-propelled howitzers geared up with the ATLAS fireplace management system and Thales communications tools;
- 15 Serval 4×4 multi-role armored autos;
- An entire suite of command, remark, communications, and logistics techniques.
In a press release, KNDS described the CAESAR MkII as “a new-generation 155mm gun built-in on the Roanne website,” noting that the platform presents improved safety, a extra highly effective engine, and an upgraded digital structure.
As famous by the corporate, the CAESAR MkII is designed for high-mobility artillery operations and incorporates classes realized from operational deployments in current European and Middle Eastern theaters. The automobile is an evolution of the broadly fielded CAESAR 6×6, which has been utilized by a number of NATO member states, together with France and Denmark.
The Serval armored automobile, additionally produced underneath the SCORPION program, is designed for reconnaissance, command, and assist missions. Its modular design and digital techniques are supposed to assist interoperability with NATO models throughout joint operations.
KNDS stated Croatia’s buy displays a broader development towards coordinated European protection procurement and can additional strengthen bilateral cooperation between France and Croatia.
“The belief positioned by Croatia reinforces long-term bilateral cooperation and strengthens the European protection industrial base,” the corporate stated.
