Portugal plans to acquire “a maximum of 36 Cesar self-propelled guns” by 2034 under an agreement signed this weekend with France, Portugal’s defense ministry said today, as quoted by AFP.
“The aim is to equip all Portuguese artillery with this military equipment,” a ministry spokesman told AFP, without specifying the value of the ordered armament.
This MoU, “which envisages the acquisition of a maximum of 36 guns,” is part of the army’s renewal strategy, the same official said.
France and Portugal signed on Saturday the memorandum for the acquisition of self-propelled howitzers “Cesar” produced by the arms company CaN Des. Other countries such as Estonia and Croatia have already placed orders for the French self-propelled howitzers, according to AFP.
The Cesar self-propelled howitzers are a truck carrying a 155 mm gun that can fire six rounds up to 40 km in less than a minute. They have been in service with the French army since 2008, notes AFP, quoted by BTA.