Gestern, 09:17
Zitat:Estonian reservists fire French CAESAR self-propelled guns for first time
Estonian reservists this week got their first taste of the French-built CAESAR self-propelled howitzer, which entered into service with the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) earlier this year, "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.
The EDF currently has six CAESARs, with that figure set to double by year-end.
EDF reservists mustered Wednesday at the central training area in Harju County, as part of a two-week training exercise.
There, and under the watchful eye of the manufacturer's representatives, reservists are gaining experience with the CAESARs shot by shot during the firing exercises.
Maj. Kaspar Põder, overseeing the exercise, said: "Right now we are doing things very calmly. Above all, we're making sure the men perform the procedures accurately, correctly, and safely, and that they get over any initial fears. We are not carrying out tactical drills yet. We will start that on Thursday."
As it turned out there was nothing to fear, with CAESAR being a fairly user-friendly weapons system, to the extent that reservists who trained with towed howitzers, now no longer used by the EDF, were able to make the switch quite readily.
Second Lieutenant Ranno Rajaste said: "There is nothing complicated about this machine, you press a button, enter the data, and basically it aligns itself. Then the shell goes in, the charge goes in, press the button again, and: Boom. Extremely accurate, extremely simple, very idiot-proof."
Exercise commanders also said CAESAR is simpler to train on than the other self-propelled howitzer in use, the South Korean-made K9 Thunder.
Põder said: "It's like moving from an analog world to a digital one. Fewer screws and bolts, more computers."
Rajaste added he was "honestly surprised that it's possible to get the men so comfortable with such a weapon in such a short time. The level of capability we have with the CAESARs, compared with what we had with the towed guns – it's a whole different world."
The Camion Équipé d'un Système d'Artillerie (CAESAR) makes use of the 155mm shells which have proved to be a lynchpin type of ammunition in Ukraine's continued defense against the stalled Russian invasion. It has an accurate range of over 40 km.
It is mounted on a wheeled truck-type vehicle rather than a tracked armored vehicle as with the K9.
https://news.err.ee/1609747425/estonian-...first-time