French Artillery Regiment Restructures for Modern Warfare by Splitting Gun Sections

The French Army’s 68th African Artillery Regiment is undergoing a significant reorganization aimed at enhancing its resilience and survivability in the face of modern battlefield threats. Colonel Rémy Jaillet, who commands the regiment, revealed this restructuring during an innovation day event held by the 7th Armored Brigade at its headquarters in Besançon earlier this month.

The changes involve breaking down the regiment’s batteries of 155 mm Caesar howitzers from two four-gun sections into three smaller units each consisting of only two guns. This reconfiguration aims to increase responsiveness and survivability on contemporary battlefields where drones and counter-battery fire pose substantial risks. Despite these structural adjustments, the overall number of truck-mounted howitzers remains unchanged.

Colonel Jaillet emphasized that this new structure enhances the regiment’s ability to respond quickly to threats while maintaining operational effectiveness through advanced coordination systems like Atlas. The move reflects a broader trend in NATO militaries, which are adapting strategies based on lessons learned from conflicts such as those in Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh.

In these conflicts, persistent drone surveillance has made artillery firing positions increasingly vulnerable to counter-battery fire. To mitigate this risk, Ukrainian forces have adopted tactics that include dispersing their guns, shortening firing missions, concealing positions, and separating ammunition from firing units. The French Army is now implementing similar strategies but with a focus on creating smaller, more agile units capable of rapid deployment.

The reorganization includes the creation of a dedicated artillery-support section tasked with identifying all firing positions, setting up decoys, and prepositioning ammunition. This approach shifts away from individual gun sections managing their own reconnaissance elements, instead centralizing these functions under a single command to improve overall efficiency and survivability.

Each battery in the 68th Regiment will now have fewer guns but more batteries overall, allowing for greater flexibility and responsiveness on the battlefield. The regiment tested this new organizational model during exercises at Canjuers military camp earlier this year and again during Orion 2026, refining its tactics and equipment such as protective metallic cages and decoys.

The first Caesar battery is set to permanently adopt the new structure next year, with other batteries following suit shortly thereafter. Colonel Jaillet stressed that while static firing positions have proven effective in some scenarios, the inherent mobility of the Caesar howitzers remains critical for maintaining survivability on dynamic battlefields.

This strategic shift underscores a broader transformation within NATO forces as they adapt to evolving threats and incorporate lessons from recent conflicts into their operational doctrines. The French Army’s initiative highlights the ongoing need for military organizations to remain agile and responsive in an era where technological advancements continue to redefine traditional combat strategies.