List & information French military equipment and weapons donated to Ukraine

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According to information published by the French Ministry of Defense, France has already supplied Ukraine with a large quantity of military equipment, weapons, and artillery systems to Ukraine. France also has created a fund of €100 million for Ukraine, to buy directly weapons and other military equipment manufactured by the French defense industry.
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France has already delivered a wide range of military equipment and weapons to Ukraine.

France had sent weapons and military equipment worth €100 million since the invasion on February 24, 2022. This announcement, along with the commitment of 12 Ceasar artillery howitzers made public on April 23 (valued at $5.5 million each), helped to further quantify the French military assistance.

In this article, the Army Recognition editorial team details all the main military equipment and combat systems, and vehicles that France has already delivered to Ukraine following the invasion of the country by the Russian army.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, France delivered to Ukraine a wide range of individual equipment for soldiers including bulletproof vests, helmets, night vision systems, medical equipment, NBC protection systems, and more. In terms of air defense, Ukraine received two Crotale NG air defense missile systems. Other weapon systems supplied to Ukraine include Milan anti-tank missile weapon system, 18 CAESAR 155mm self-propelled howitzers including 155mm ammunition, VAB 4x4 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicles, six TRF1 towed howitzer, and two LRU rocket launcher vehicles, a French version of the American M270 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System).

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Crotale NG air defense missile system (Picture source Army Recognition)

Crotale NG air defense missile system (2)

In the French army, the Crotale NG is based on a 6x6 trailer which is equipped with a weapon station armed with two blocks of four ready-to-fire container launchers that can fire the VT1 missile designed to destroy aerial targets at short range. It is equipped with a multi-sensor suite, including passive electro-optics and radar with built-in Electronic Counter Countermeasures (ECCM) to engage airborne targets under adverse conditions of dense electronic warfare and hostile battlefield environments of nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare (NBC) and smoke and dust screens.

The Crotale NG missile is able to intercept aerial threats including tactical missiles, helicopters, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Systems), and aircraft deploying high-maneuvering, low-level stand-off weapons. The missile has a maximum firing range of 11 km.

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LRU French army M270 MLRS Multiple Launch Rocket System (Picture source Army Recognition)

LRU French army M270 MLRS (2)

The LRU is a modernized version of the American M270 equipped with a new firing control system and able to fire new types of guided rockets. According to open-source information, a total of 13 LRUs are currently in service with the French Army.

The LRU design consists of two main parts with the crew cab at the front and the launcher pod mounted at the rear of the tracked chassis. The rocket launcher station includes two pods of 6 rockets. The vehicle can fire the new M31 GPS-guided rocket which has a circular error probability of fewer than 10 m and a maximum firing range of 70 km.

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Ukrainian soldiers operate French-made Milan anti-tank weapon system '(Picture source Twitter)

Milan anti-tank weapon system (Undisclosed number)

The Milan is a man-portable anti-tank guided missile that was manufactured by the company MBDA which entered into service with the French army in 1972. It is a wire-guided SACLOS (semi-automatic command to line-of-sight) missile, which means the sight of the launch unit has to be aimed at the target to guide the missile.

The latest variant of the Milan missile is fitted with a single-shaped charge warhead that can penetrate composite armor. Citing technical information published by the company MBDA, the Milan ER missile is able to penetrate 1,000 mm of ERA (Explosive Reactive armor) at a distance of 3,000 m.

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Ukrainian soldiers operate Frenc-made CAESAR 6x6 155mm self-propelled howitzer. (Ukraine MoD)

CAESAR 6x6 155mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer (18)

The CAESAR is a wheeled self-propelled howitzer designed and developed by the French company Nexter Systems. It was one of the first artillery howitzers based on a military truck chassis. It enters in production in 2006 and was delivered to the French army in 2007 to perform trial tests. The first production Caesar system was delivered to the French Army in July 2008.

The CAESAR consists of one 155 mm/52 caliber cannon mounted at the rear of a truck chassis in 6x6 or 8x8 configurations. The 155mm/52 caliber of the CAESAR can fire a wide range of ammunition: among others, LU family (HE, Illuminating, Smoke and Practice) filled with insensitive or conventional explosives, the BONUS (Anti-Tank, smart), ERFB NR (Explosive Extended-Range Full-Bore), as well as the new KATANA 155mm, guided artillery ammunition. It has a firing range from 4.5 to 40 km and a high level of accuracy with the LU family.

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VAB French-made APC Armored personnel Carrier vehicle in service with the Ukrainian army. (Picture source VK)

VAB 4x4 APC Armored Personnel Carrier vehicles (undisclosed number)

The VAB is a wheeled armored vehicle that was developed by the French company Panhard and Saviem/Renault Group in 4x4 and 6x6 configurations between 1972 and 1973. The first VAB vehicles entered into service with the French army in 1976.

The most common model used by the French Army is the 4X4 VAB VTT (Véhicule Transport de Troupe - Armored Personnel Carrier) which has a crew of three including a commander, gunner and driver and carries 10 fully equipped infantrymen. The all-welded steel hull of the VAB provides the crew with protection from small arms fire and shell splinters.

The VAB APC is fitted with a one-man open-top turret mounted at the front right side of the hull which is armed with one 12.7mm heavy machine gun.

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French soldiers make initial preparations on a French TRF1 155 mm self-propelled howitzer as part of a live fire exercise during Combined Endeavor. (Picture source U.S. DoD)

TRF1 155mm towed howitzer (6)

The TRF1 is a French-made 155mm towed howitzer produced by the company Nexter Systems and in service with the French Army since 1990.

The TRF1, it is a gun with a maximum range of 30 km. Able to be quickly put into action [less than five minutes] and requiring 8 gunners, it has a rate of fire of 3 shots in 15 seconds in rapid mode, or 6 shots in one minute in “classic” mode. Its tube must be changed every 3,000 shots.