Thread by @HthHans

The sudden apparent blind selection of replacement capacity for the CAESAR 155mm howitzer in Denmark after the donation to Ukraine does not make sense. Denmark is forming a medium heavy infantry brigade and in NATO planning we are to deliver a heavy infantry brigade by 2032. 1/6

The French CAESAR system, which is an excellent wheel-based long range artillery system as witnessed in Ukraine, was selected due to specifications developed after our mechanized brigade capacity was dropped (2004) and prior to the decision to - partly - re-build the capacity 2/6

The specifications were developed prior to June 2012 when the army operated out-of-area in Iraq/Afghanistan and needed a deployable system. In December 2014 the Israeli system ATMOS from Elbit actually won, but due to political issues ATMOS was dropped in favour of CAESAR. 3/6

Now, apparently, the top of defence and defence acquisition, has decided to go back to ATMOS to replace CAESAR without acknowledging the fundamental changes in operational environment since 2014, selection of artillery in partner countries and not least NATO requirements. 4/6

A NATO heavy infantry brigade requires tracked, armoured self-propelled howitzers just like 4 btns of tanks and armoured infantry with IFVs for firepower, field mobility and protection. This means that it does not make sense to equip the brigade with wheel-based artillery. 5/6

The ONLY correct decision will be to STOP the process and start using current requirements for brigade artillery. This does not imply that CAESAR or ATMOS cannot be used for a other brigades or for divisonal artillery if we get such in the new defence review. (#Coldwar photo) 6/6

@MadsKorsager @AndreasKrogDk @SimonHoejbjerg @graaspraengt @mr_mogensen @clausmat1 @hphmic @carsten1960 @kmouritzen @CorporalFrisk @pmakela1 @oplatsen @stakmaskin @nHenrikJ @gammelfenkan @Chefsanalytiker @Totalforsvar @QvintusJohan @niklas_granholm @MansRAD @The_Lookout_N