Leonardo DRS and KNDS team up to offer CAESAr self-propelled howitzer to the U.S. Army.

Leonardo DRS and KNDS have entered a teaming agreement to propose the 155 mm CAESAR self-propelled howitzer for the U.S. Army's next-generation howitzer program.

Leonardo DRS and KNDS announced a formal partnership on October 13, 2025, to offer the CAESAR 155 mm/52-caliber wheeled howitzer for the U.S. Army’s Self-Propelled Howitzer Modernization (SPH-M) program. Leonardo DRS will act as the prime contractor and system integrator, while KNDS will supply the weapon and core technologies. The proposal is intended to provide a proven, in-service artillery system aligned with the Army’s 2026–2030 modernization schedule.
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The CAESAR 6x6 Mark II offers significant improvements over the original Mark I variant, notably with its new 460-horsepower diesel engine replacing the earlier 215-horsepower unit, as well as a more powerful hydraulic pump that increases firing responsiveness. (Picture source: KNDS)

The partnership seeks to address the US Army’s stated need for greater range, enhanced mobility, and precision artillery capabilities in future combat environments. Leonardo DRS, based in Arlington, Virginia, will act as prime contractor and system integrator, while KNDS, headquartered in Amsterdam, will provide the gun system and associated technologies. Both companies underline their experience in platform integration, power systems, and mobile artillery design. This collaboration follows the U.S. Army’s expressed interest in mature and operationally proven systems capable of rapid deployment, sustained fire support, and compatibility with U.S. tactical vehicles. The teaming is being proposed as an immediately fieldable option within the Army’s modernization timeline, aligning with its 2026–2030 acquisition planning window.

The cooperation between Leonardo DRS and KNDS is centered on the 155 mm/52-caliber CAESAR howitzer, a system with over 120 units currently deployed in Ukraine according to KNDS. The CAESAR has been used operationally in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Ukraine, where it demonstrated its ability to perform under drone surveillance and counter-battery conditions. The U.S. Army previously evaluated CAESAR during its 2021 Wheeled Gun System shoot-off at Yuma Proving Ground, where it was tested alongside several competitors. Army officials at the time reportedly appreciated its precision, fast deployment time, and suitability for integration on U.S. tactical truck platforms. The system’s design emphasizes mobility, precision, and adaptability to a wide range of terrains.

KNDS has stated that its ordnance has achieved a strong record for reliability under varied environmental conditions, having fired hundreds of thousands of rounds in service across climates ranging from desert to arctic. Leonardo DRS indicates that it plans to integrate CAESAR with U.S. command, control, and communications systems, and adapt it for domestic truck platforms. KNDS adds that the weapon’s architecture is compatible with modular truck-based configurations and that it can be readily integrated with U.S.-manufactured vehicles, a factor of significance in compliance with U.S. industrial participation requirements.

Leonardo DRS has described its role as ensuring compatibility with U.S. fire-control, communications, and sustainment systems while leveraging its existing expertise in platform electrification, C5I integration, and power management. The company maintains a longstanding presence in U.S. land system integration programs, including sensor, vehicle, and propulsion domains. KNDS, which emerged from the merger of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter, brings an established artillery portfolio that includes the PzH 2000 tracked system and the CAESAR wheeled gun. KNDS France is responsible for CAESAR production, while KNDS Deutschland focuses on tracked and modular gun systems such as the Artillery Gun Module (AGM). KNDS reports a 2024 turnover of 3.8 billion euros, an order backlog of approximately 23.5 billion euros, and an order intake of 11.2 billion euros. The company employs over 10,000 personnel and provides solutions across the full land systems spectrum, including artillery, ammunition, robotics, training, and battle management systems.

The CAESAR self-propelled howitzer was originally developed in France in the 1990s by GIAT Industries, now part of KNDS France. It is a 155 mm/52-caliber artillery system mounted on a wheeled chassis, available in both 6x6 and 8x8 configurations. The system can fire a range of NATO-standard ammunition types, achieving over 40 kilometers with Extended Range Full Bore (ERFB) base-bleed shells and over 50 kilometers with rocket-assisted projectiles. Its crew typically consists of five to six personnel, though the system can operate with as few as three in emergency conditions. The CAESAR can deploy for firing within 60 seconds and displace within 40 seconds, reducing vulnerability to counter-battery fire. The vehicle reaches a maximum road speed of 100 km/h and has an operational range of 600 kilometers. The howitzer incorporates an autonomous fire-control system with inertial navigation, a ballistic computer, and optional muzzle velocity radar, enabling accurate fire missions without external positioning systems.

A new generation, known as the CAESAR 6x6 Mark II or CAESAR NG, is in production under a 600 million euro contract with the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA). The updated version (a scale model of which was on display at AUSA 2025) features a reinforced Arquus six-wheel chassis, a 460-horsepower diesel engine, an armored cabin with mine protection, a new automatic gearbox, Safran’s Geonyx inertial navigation system, and upgraded fire-control software. The design integrates with the SCORPION network, enabling tactical data exchange and improved situational awareness. According to KNDS, the CAESAR NG will remain air-transportable by C-130 and A400M aircraft despite increased protection and a raised combat weight of around 25 tonnes. Deliveries of 109 systems to the French Army are scheduled between 2026 and 2030. Belgium and Lithuania have ordered 28 and 18 CAESAR Mark II systems respectively. KNDS has indicated a goal of expanding production capacity to eight units per month by late 2023, with continuing ramp-up planned through the decade to support European and export customers.

The U.S. Army’s Self-Propelled Howitzer Modernization (SPH-M) program represents the fourth major attempt to replace the M109 Paladin following the cancellations of the XM2001 Crusader (2002), XM1203 non-line-of-sight cannon (NLOS-C) (2009), and XM1299 Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA, 2024) programs. The ERCA project was discontinued due to excessive wear on the 58-caliber gun tube after a low number of firings, despite achieving test ranges of 70 kilometers with M982 Excalibur ammunition. A 2023 Army study on conventional fires concluded that future artillery systems should emphasize greater autonomy, range, and mobility. The SPH-M program, previously called the Next Generation Howitzer (NGH), seeks highly mobile and survivable systems capable of supporting operations across multiple terrains with minimal setup times. In August 2024, the Army issued a Request for Information inviting domestic and foreign manufacturers to propose mature systems already in service or capable of fielding by 2026.

In October 2024, five companies, American Rheinmetall Vehicles, BAE BOFORS, Hanwha Defense USA, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Elbit Systems USA, received Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contracts worth approximately $4 million in total to conduct performance demonstrations. These evaluations, completed by late 2024, focused on firing performance, range, mobility, precision, and logistics. Rheinmetall demonstrated its RCH 155 module on a Boxer 8x8 chassis and a joint Rheinmetall–Elbit wheeled system with automated loading. BAE Systems tested both the Archer wheeled system and an M109-52 hybrid mounting a Rheinmetall L52 gun on an M109A7 chassis. Hanwha proposed its K9A2, featuring an automatic turret and rate of fire up to 10 rounds per minute, while Elbit showcased the Sigma system on a 10x10 Oshkosh truck. General Dynamics, in collaboration with KNDS, proposed the Nemesis tracked howitzer using KNDS’s 155 mm L52 gun mounted on an ASCOD chassis, capable of full 360° traverse. These efforts were intended to support the Army’s shift from new development toward procuring non-developmental, production-ready systems.

The US Army had planned a Phase I Request for Proposals for SPH-M in February 2025, but that timeline shifted. The service now intends to conduct a new nine-month demonstration at Yuma Proving Ground beginning in early 2026, with each participant receiving approximately $5 million for evaluation. Testing will assess both tracked and wheeled options to determine optimal range, accuracy, and survivability characteristics. Data will inform a Phase II selection process expected in 2027, with initial fielding targeted around 2030. Congressional committees have requested updates on the modernization program by March 31, 2025, citing the capability gap revealed by the ERCA cancellation and the lessons of artillery use in Ukraine. Lawmakers have emphasized that the Army should prioritize mature, existing technologies to accelerate deployment and reduce risk, and have requested comparative cost analyses between modifying existing systems and launching new designs.

The forthcoming Yuma trials will coincide with a broader Army fires strategy reassessment after the Vice Chief of Staff reportedly rejected an earlier single-solution proposal. This expanded scope allows for multiple potential solutions to be demonstrated, including systems that did not exist in earlier trials. The Army has indicated that it will evaluate range, precision, volume of fire, mobility, survivability, and supportability, and that final selections could result in multiple system lines tailored to different formations, such as Armored and Stryker Brigade Combat Teams. With the observed decline in effectiveness of towed artillery under drone and loitering munition threats, the Army has shifted emphasis toward mobile, self-propelled solutions. Within this context, the Leonardo DRS–KNDS partnership offers a technically mature option that aligns with U.S. mobility and range requirements while being adaptable to domestic production and sustainment frameworks.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.