an armament factory is running at full speed

It is a centerpiece of French artillery, capable of firing six rounds per minute. 18 CAESAE guns were delivered to Ukraine. This fearsome weapon hurls shells 42 kilometers away. Its very specific ammunition is manufactured in the heart of the Pyrenees, in Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées). To develop these weapons, 255 mm in diameter, the steel is packed, dug. It is then heated to over 1,000 degrees. The 40,000 shell bodies produced each year are inspected from every angle using laser beams. Indeed, the slightest crack can be fatal.

160,000 shells per year

15 million euros will be invested in the Tarbes forge, 50% of which by the State. The war at the gates of Europe would have pushed France to rearm. “We have two things that are now supported by the Ministry of the Armed Forces. It is on the one hand to replenish our stocks, […] and on the other hand to maintain the war effort that we are making in the name of NATO“, explains Jérôme Garnache-Creuillot, CEO of Europlasma. By 2025, the production of this company should triple, reaching 160,000 shells per year.