Those of you in the defense biz will know this is old news, but our good friends the Saudis recently purchased 76 French Caesar truck-mounted 155mm artillery systems. Strategypage.com reports that our allies have taken delivery of the first four. Four what, you ask? “Caesar uses a 52 caliber 155mm howitzer mounted on the back of a 6×6 ten ton truck. While it is self-propelled, it only has light armor in the driver/crew cab up front. Caesar only weighs 18 tons and will fit into a C-130 transport, something that traditional tracked self-propelled artillery cannot do. Caesar’s long barrel enables it to fire shells up to 42 kilometers. With on-board GPS, it can be ready to fire in minutes. The truck carries the crew of six in an air-conditioned compartment. A 12.7mm machine-gun can be mounted, in a ring turret, on top of the cab.” So now you know. Military fetishists can check the specs after the jump, courtesy army-technology.com.

Key Data:

Crew
6 including driver
Dimensions:
Length
10m
Width
2.5m
Height (Travelling)
3.26m
Weights:
Weight in Combat Order
18.5t
Weight in Air Transport Configuration
16.2t
Performance:
Chassis
Daimler Benz Unimog 6×6 / Sherpa 5 6×6
Vehicle Range (Unrefuelled)
600km
Air Transportability
Air transportable by C-130
Sea Transportability
Sea transportable with no preparation
Maximum Road Speed
Over 100km/h
Typical Track Speed
50km/h
Systems:
Equipment
Ballistic computer
Inertial / GPS navigation system
Muzzle velocity radar
Hydraulic laying equipment
Radio communications
Armament:
Firing Rate
3 rounds in 15 seconds, 6 rounds in 1 minute
Target Range with ERFB-BB Ammunition
42km
Ordnance
155mm / 52 calibre
Elevation
+66°
Traverse
30° (15° to the left or right)
Setting Time Into and Out of Action
Less than 1 minute
Loading
Semi-automatic
Ready-to-Fire Ammunition
18 complete rounds
Price:
$5.5 million each (must have end user certificate)