The Czech government is considering suspending advance payments for the acquisition of 62 Caesar 8×8 self-propelled howitzers from French defense contractor KNDS, citing repeated contractual non-compliance and ongoing delivery delays. In a letter from Lubor Koudelka, Director of Armaments, Czech officials warned that Prague will cease settlement of agreed costs for 2025 unless the manufacturer shows progress in fulfilling contract terms and readies the artillery pieces for military testing.
The Czech Ministry of Defense has already disbursed 7 billion korunas ($332.4 million) to KNDS, with an additional 1 billion korunas ($47.5 million) scheduled later this year. The main concerns stem from the howitzer’s inability to achieve the required 40-kilometer range in simultaneous impact mode, an essential specification for military effectiveness. Further complicating matters is missing technical data regarding ammunition interoperability, a shortcoming KNDS itself has acknowledged. This technical gap not only hinders the integration of Czech ammunition but also raises doubts about compliance with NATO standards, thus posing risks to both project completion and operational security.
