Croatia Bolsters Artillery Capabilities With 18 French Caesar MkII Howitzers
The Croatian government has signed an agreement to procure 18 Caesar MkII self-propelled howitzers from France.
The procurement contract for the 18 Caesar 155mm systems — including associated equipment and supplementary capabilities — is reportedly valued at around 328 million euros ($382 million), with deliveries scheduled for 2030.
The Caesar MkII features enhanced crew protection, improved mobility, and upgraded communications over its earlier variant.
The deal was formalized in Paris by Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anušić and French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin.
Additionally, Croatia bought 15 Serval armored vehicles and the two sides signed a letter of intent to upgrade Croatia’s fleet of 12 Rafale F3-R fighter jets to the latest F4 standard.
Zagreb purchased the used Rafales in 2021 for 999 million euros ($1.16 billion) to replace its aging MiG-21 fleet.
Army Modernization
Croatia’s parliamentary defense committee had earlier endorsed the acquisitions, along with plans to procure Leopard 2A8 tanks, an anti-drone system, and Tatra military trucks.
The broader 1.9-billion-euro ($2.21-billion) modernization effort is aimed at strengthening the Croatian Army, supporting the domestic defense sector, and improving interoperability with NATO forces.
Funding for the Caesar purchase will be partly provided through the EU’s SAFE (Security Action for Europe) program, which offers loans at a 1-percent interest rate and repayment periods of up to 40 years.
“We are particularly pleased with the accelerated dynamics of cooperation in the field of defense,” Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković reportedly said.
“Today’s meetings are related to the implementation of the loan that Croatia took from the European Union’s SAFE instrument – a loan in the total amount of one billion and 700 million euros – part of these funds will be invested in the purchase of Caesar self-propelled howitzers for the needs of equipping the Croatian Army.”
