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CAESAR, firing
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Unlike Britain and the USA, France’s economic stimulus package includes military modernization funds. As part of that effort. France’s DGA procurement agency recently announced [in French] 3 ammunition purchases worth EUR 43.9 million (currently $62.3 million).

One contract for EUR 7.2 million goes to Diehl’s Defence’s French subsidiary Junghans T2M SAS, for multi-mode fuzes to equip the 155mm shells carried by France’s truck-mounted CAESAR expeditionary self-propelled howitzers. Fuzing options include impact detonation, short post-impact delayed detonation for punching into buildings and strongpoints, time-delay fuzing, and proximity fuzing. They’re paired with a EUR 16.7 million contract to Nexter Munitions for LU 211-IM 155mm MURAT shells. The French MURAT standard involves shells whose insensitive explosives are far less likely to become a local safety hazard if they fail to detonate. It is similar to LOVA standard, and complies with NATO STANAG 4439, as well as the STANAG 4224 safety standard. The LU 211 family is also distinguished by the use of field-fitted bases that can be either hollow-base or extended range base-bleed, as the situation requires. The CAESAR cannon was qualified for these new munitions and fuzes at the beginning of July 2009, and a battery recently deployed to Afghanistan.

The 3rd order is a EUR 20 million contract to Thales subsidiary TDA Armement SAS for 120mm mortar shells to equip its rifled mortars. These mortars are in use by a number of countries, including the US Marine Corps (as the EFSS). This French order will include both high-explosive and illumination shells.