The French arms company GIAT is building a third prototype of its CAESAR self-propelled 155mm howitzer. Mounted on a truck chassis rather than a tracked vehicle, its weight is kept low and it can be carried by a C130. The French insist that every country using towed 155mm guns is a potential customer for a truck-mounted weapon such as CAESAR, as it is not that much harder to carry to the battle and much easier to move around on the battlefield. The third prototype is to include an enclosed crew cab with air conditioning. France is expected to buy 10 guns as a demonstration battery, and is confident that Malaysia will buy 24 of them.--Stephen V Cole