These guns will be added to the 18 Caesars already delivered by France
France will supply Ukraine with 12 self-propelled 155mm Caesar guns, in addition to the 18 self-propelled guns already delivered, as well as air defense equipment, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecorny announced today during a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov.
These 12 medium-range self-propelled guns (ie, not long-range as was mistakenly conveyed in the previous cable) will be delivered “within the next few weeks” and will be “financed under the €200 million support fund” set up by the France, the minister clarified at the joint press conference.
These guns will add to the 18 Caesars already delivered by France — one of which is decommissioned — as well as 19 Caesar guns that Denmark promised in Kyiv in mid-January.
Copenhagen had ordered these guns from French group Nexter between 2017 and 2019. However, deliveries were delayed and only a few guns were delivered.
“We are now in a crowd (of Caesar guns) that is not inconsiderable,” commented Lecorny.
France also promised today to deliver a Ground Master 200 (GM200) radar produced by France’s Thales to Ukraine. This medium-range radar allows the detection of an enemy aircraft from a distance of 250 km and “engagement” it at 100 km, whether it is flying at low speed and low altitude like drones or at high altitude like fighter jets.
It also provides protection against missiles and artillery fire by alerting forces on the ground to enemy fire, says its maker, which has sold more than 60 similar radars worldwide. The radar is transported by truck.
Paris has also “started discussions with our allies to ensure that there is always an adequate stockpile” of French Crotale surface-to-air missiles for Ukraine, Lecorne stressed.
Crotale has been delivered to around fifteen countries, including Greece, Finland and South Korea.
“This equipment helps us get closer to the day of our victory. “Crotales destroy 100% of targets, so it is very important that they close the Ukrainian sky,” commented the Ukrainian Defense Minister.
The Ukrainian minister also said France’s decision this month to supply Kyiv with AMX-10 RC light armored fighting vehicles had resulted in an “avalanche effect”, with other allies later promising to send tanks.
Regarding the issue of warplanes, which Kyiv is requesting from its Western allies, the Ukrainian minister did not make a specific request to France.
“We didn’t talk about the type of plane,” like the French Mirage, he emphasized. “We have just emphasized that tactical aviation is a component of air defense” and “we need to strengthen our defense capabilities for our airspace,” he added.
“I’m optimistic” about the eventual acquisition of Western fighter jets and “I hope it happens as soon as possible,” he concluded, while President Joe Biden on Monday vetoed the delivery of US F-16s.
Finally, the French Minister of Defense announced the dispatch of 150 French soldiers to Poland to train Ukrainian soldiers.
Lekorny said “there is no taboo” when asked about the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine.
He also reiterated France’s position on supplying arms to Ukraine, saying it would not weaken France’s defense capability, that it would be beneficial to help Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, and that the weapons would only be used by Ukraine to her defense.
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