Manufacturer of Caesar artillery systems announces plans to build plant in Ukraine

The Franco-German company KNDS announced on Friday, 7 June, that it would set up a subsidiary in Ukraine.

As reported by BFMTV, a French news broadcast television and radio network, the announcement was made in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Representatives of the KNDS and the Ukrainian company ENMEK signed two declarations of intent, one of which concerns the creation of a maintenance centre for Caesar self-propelled howitzers (SPHs), and the other relates to the 3D printing of spare parts.

A contract was also formalised for the transfer of licensed production of 155mm shells to Ukraine.

KNDS produces artillery systems and main battle tanks, as well as Caesar SPHs used by Ukraine's Armed Forces.

In late March, French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius announced that the plant would produce military equipment and ammunition on Ukrainian soil.

In addition, talks between President Zelenskyy and his US counterpart Joe Biden commenced in the French capital of Paris, where the White House announced a new US$225 million aid package for Ukraine.

Media reports indicate that the announced package includes, among other things, air defence missiles, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems, 155mm howitzers, armoured vehicles, trailers, patrol boats, demolition materials and a wide range of other spare parts and equipment.