Ukrainian gunners at one of the brigades rate one French howitzer above most of what they field. The French CAESAR self-propelled gun is one of the best in the Ukrainian arsenal, able to fire various munitions with long range and high accuracy, Major Denys Chmykhun of the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade's self-propelled artillery battalion said in an interview with Ukrinform.
The praise is a frontline verdict on the Western artillery that has helped keep Ukraine in the fight. France has supplied Ukraine with CAESAR howitzers throughout the war, and the crews who fire them rate its range and precision highly valuable.
Why the crews rate it
Chmykhun described CAESAR as newer than other guns, and very mobile and maneuverable.
"CAESAR is now one of the best self-propelled systems in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Chmykhun said.
He wished Ukraine had fielded more of them sooner.
"If at the start of the full-scale war, when FPVs and Lancets were not yet used, there had been at least a few CAESAR battalions, it would have seriously affected the front line," the major noted.
The crews learned to repair it themselves
However, the gun's electronics are its weak point, but the crews adapted. The French system has a lot of electronics, and when it produced errors, crew members studied each one using an online translator and fixed them, Chmykhun explained. He added that the howitzer can be temperamental because it is not built for such intense combat.
Rather than pulling a finicky Western system off the line when its software faulted, the crews taught themselves to diagnose and clear the errors.
What it hunts
The CAESAR fires at everything the crews can find. It works against enemy personnel, drone-control points, landing pads, guns, mortars, and artillery, Chmykhun said, wherever its shells can reach.
He took particular satisfaction in counter-battery work. Destroying Russian guns, mostly 152mm, is gratifying because they trouble the Ukrainian infantry who assault, the major said.
"It's great when you hit precisely and understand that this gun is out of action, and somewhere, a field ammunition store starts to detonate. The enemy runs around, panic sets in, and it's pleasant to watch," he added.
