French army will deploy four 155m wheeled self-propelled howitzers CAESAR in Iraq 12209167.

According to this statement, the French artillery battery of Caesar 155mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer will be accompanied by 150 to 180 French soldiers.

The military Air Base of Qayyarah, which has just been taken, will be rebuilt and will also contribute to the effort to retake Mosul. The French Caesar howitzer will be used to support ground operations.

"These French artillery equipment are deployed to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces in case of offensive operations, according to the request of the Iraqi government.", said Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister of Defence.

The Caesar (French designation: Camion Équipé d’un Système d’Artillerie) was designed and manufactured by the French Company Nexter Systems. The CAESAR® is a 155 mm / 52 calibre gun self-propelled wheeled howitzer which, today, constitutes the backbone of the French army artillery units.

The 155mm 52 calibre gun gives a range of 40km when firing standard shells, and more than 50 km using rocket assisted shells. The CAESAR® can fire six rounds, shut down the battery configuration and leave its firing position, all in less than two minutes, thus avoiding counter-battery fire.