Bulgaria to Modernize Military with CAESAR Howitzer Purchase

5 March, 2025 Caesar self-propelled guns of the Armed Forces. Photo credits: Joint Forces Task Force Bulgaria has announced plans to purchase French-made CAESAR self-propelled artillery systems as part of its military modernization efforts.

Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov confirmed the purchase in response to questions about Bulgaria's participation in the European Union's joint defense procurement initiatives within the EDIRPA program. Bulgaria is involved in two EDIRPA projects: JAMIE, which focuses on the joint acquisition of IRIS-T air defense systems led by Germany, and CAESAR, coordinated by France. While the JAMIE project has received European Commission approval, the CAESAR project is currently on the reserve list.

The CAESAR artillery systems are intended to replace Soviet-era 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers.

Caesar self-propelled guns production at Nexter's facilities in Roanne. Photo: Anthony THOMAS-TROPHIME

Similarly, the IRIS-T systems will replace the country's Soviet S-300 air defense systems. As part of its defense overhaul, Bulgaria plans to increase military spending to 2.5% of its GDP over the next three years, with a focus on upgrading its outdated Soviet weapons systems.

In 2024, Bulgaria started phasing out its 2S1 Gvozdika, which may have been transferred to Ukraine as part of ongoing military support.

2S1 Gvozdika in Bulgaria.

February 2024.

Photo credits: Tsvetan Alexandrov

In December 2024, Bulgaria committed a seventh defense assistance package to Ukraine, though details of the weapons, equipment, and ammunition provided remain undisclosed.

Militarnyi previously reported that France's defense contractor KNDS, which manufactures the CAESAR howitzers, is also considering ramping up production to meet demand, potentially increasing output to 12 units per month.