Lithuania strikes €252-million deal to buy French wheeled howitzers

Lithuania has signed a deal to buy French CAESAR Mk 2 wheeled howitzers worth around €252 million ($293 million) from arms manufacturer KNDS France, the Defence Ministry in Vilnius said on Wednesday.

The agreement, Lithuania’s second purchase of the self-propelled artillery guns, is the largest arms deal to date between the two countries, the ministry said, without disclosing how many howitzers had been ordered.

“These modern systems will give the Lithuanian military greater mobility and firepower, and a closer partnership with the French defence sector will strengthen our relations with an important ally,” Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said.

He described the howitzers as among the most modern of their kind worldwide, noting that they had already been tested in real combat conditions in Ukraine.

Lithuania borders Russia’s Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad and Moscow’s ally Belarus, and views the war in Ukraine as a direct threat to its national security.

Vilnius has therefore increased its military spending and is upgrading its armed forces.