Croatia signs contract for French 155mm CAESAR MkII howitzers and Serval armored vehicles.

Croatia has signed a contract in Paris to acquire 18 CAESAR 6x6 MkII self-propelled howitzers and 15 Serval armored vehicles from KNDS France, with the ceremony split between the Satory site and the Élysée Palace. The deal deepens the Rafale-based defense partnership between Zagreb and Paris and anchors Croatia’s broader push to modernize its land forces with NATO-standard equipment.

On 8 December 2025, Croatia and France formalized a long-prepared artillery and armored vehicle package that puts Zagreb firmly inside the French-led land warfare ecosystem. In a two-stage ceremony at Satory and later at the Elysée Palace, Croatian Defence Minister Ivan Anušić and French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin signed for 18 CAESAR 6x6 MkII howitzers and 15 VBMR L Serval vehicles from KNDS France, in the presence of President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, and KNDS chief executive Jean Paul Alary, giving contractual weight to a framework first announced at Eurosatory 2024.
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Croatia signs for CAESAR MkII howitzers and Serval 4x4s from France, tightening a Rafale-led defense partnership and accelerating its land forces overhaul. (Picture source: KNDS)

This partnership between Zagreb and Paris is part of a solid continuity that began with Croatia’s acquisition of 12 second-hand Rafale aircraft. The direction taken was confirmed on 17 June 2024 at the Eurosatory exhibition with the conclusion of a framework agreement for the future purchase of CAESAR systems, signed by Ivica Grebenar, Director of the Croatian Directorate for Material Resources. This arrangement already allowed France’s Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) to carry out procurement on behalf of Croatia once an acquisition order had been issued. The non-binding agreement was based on national funding, potentially supplemented by a European contribution through the EDIRPA mechanism covering up to 15 percent of costs. At that time, Zagreb indicated that it was considering the purchase of 30 CAESAR systems by 2025, moving away from the previously examined option of expanding the Panzerhaubitze 2000 fleet and aligning with a more integrated European approach to joint procurement.

The Camion équipé d’un système d’artillerie (CAESAR) 6x6 MkII selected by Croatia retains the 155 mm / 52-caliber gun compliant with NATO standards, with a rate of fire of up to six rounds per minute and a nominal range of around 42 km with ERFB ammunition, extending beyond 50 km with rocket-assisted projectiles. The 6x6 chassis provides a speed close to 100 km/h and a range of about 600 km, for a weight kept under 18 tonnes, a key parameter for transport by C-130 or A400M. The MkII version reinforces the cab, upgrades the engine, and improves integration into digital command and fire-control architectures, enabling short deployment times and shoot-and-scoot sequences adapted to environments saturated with counter-battery radars.

The CAESAR’s operational record is another element that attracts Croatia. The system, employed in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Levant, the Sahel, and Ukraine, is now widely fielded by European forces, with recent orders from Belgium, the Czech Republic and Lithuania for the NG generation. Estonia is receiving its first units in early 2025, while France plans to procure 109 CAESAR MkII systems between 2026 and 2030. Croatia is assessing a mix of MkI and MkII systems to meet a requirement estimated at between 54 and 60 units to form three artillery battalions, an approach supported by the joint procurement structure designed to reduce acquisition and support costs.

Alongside this artillery component, Croatian modernization relies on the Véhicule blindé multi-rôles léger Serval (VBMR-L Serval). When it appears again in the text, the Véhicule blindé multi-rôles léger Serval (VBMR-L Serval) remains a 4x4 vehicle of around 17 tonnes capable of carrying a crew of two and eight infantry soldiers, with protection compliant with STANAG 4569 Level 4. The engine output of about 375 hp allows speeds of roughly 90 to 100 km/h and a range of 600 km. The remotely operated Hornet turret can be configured from a 7.62 mm machine gun up to Akeron MP or Mistral 3 missiles, relying on the SCORPION (SICS) collaborative combat architecture to shorten reaction times and share situational awareness.

The CAESAR MkII and VBMR-L Serval combination shapes a new tactical balance for the Croatian forces. The 155 mm guns can deliver deep-fire missions with very rapid redeployment, limiting exposure to adversary sensors. The Serval vehicles provide protected mobility for forward observers and tactical command posts, maintaining the digital continuity of allied C2 links. The interconnection with counter-battery radars, ISR drones, and modern fire-control systems substantially updates the sensor-to-shooter chain and increases the survivability of Croatian artillery units.

In this context, Minister Anušić reiterates Croatia’s interest in a medium-range air defence system, complementing the Mistral 3 systems expected by the end of 2025. The VL MICA NG emerges as a logical candidate due to its interoperability with the Rafale. Zagreb is also examining long-range capabilities, from the Aster SAMP/T NG system to the American Patriot, while considering financing options made possible by the European SAFE instrument.

This modernization is part of a broader transformation. Zagreb has launched the acquisition of eight HIMARS systems and 50 Leopard 2A8 tanks to replace M-84A4s, some of which are being transferred to Ukraine, and is receiving Bradley M2A2 ODS infantry fighting vehicles and Black Hawk helicopters. Six Bayraktar TB2 drones further support the capability development, underpinned by a strategic partnership with Rheinmetall on unmanned ground systems. Croatian artillery, which still operates 16 Panzerhaubitze 2000 and a small number of 2S1 Gvozdika systems nearing retirement, aims to form three self-propelled battalions by the early 2030s, with a complete transition to NATO standards as the objective.

At the European level, Croatia’s 8 December signing illustrates a strategic convergence that goes beyond industrial logic alone. The CAESAR and Serval systems bring Croatian forces closer to Western land warfare architectures, strengthening an already structured Paris–Zagreb axis built around the Rafale. For France and KNDS, this contract confirms a growing presence on NATO’s south-eastern flank. For Europe, it signals the gradual maturation of a collective defence posture based on consistent equipment choices, reinforced interoperability, and a durable consolidation of the land industrial base.