Army tests 'Excalibur' smart artillery munition

September 28, 2005

 PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. (Army News Service, Sept. 28, 2005) -- U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan could have a significantly more accurate howitzer-fired munition by March, officials said, following successful demonstration of the Army’s first fully autonomous guided projectile, Excalibur, at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., Sept. 15.

The 155mm guided Excalibur round, known as the XM982, is more accurate than any currently available, said officials from the Army Project Manager for Combat Ammunition Systems located at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.

A total of 165 Excalibur rounds have been contracted for $23 million.

The projectile’s accuracy is better than 10 meter, a figure that represents a huge improvement over existing munitions, officials said. Excalibur will be used in Army and Marine Corps howitzers, to include the M109A6 Paladin, the M777 Lightweight 155 Howitzer and the Future Combat Systems’ Non-Line Of Sight Cannon.

“Excalibur will reduce collateral damage, increase survivability of friendly troops and accomplish the mission more efficiently,” according to Col. Ole Knudson, the project manager who oversees Army combat ammunition development programs.

Knudsen called the Sept. 15 demonstration “a tremendous success.”

“Excalibur has been proven at the system level to meet its precision and lethality objectives,” he said.

The demonstration consisted of firing an Excalibur projectile from a Paladin 155mm self-propelled howitzer at a target 15 kilometers away.

Eyewitnesses said the munition detonated successfully within seven meters of the target.

The round was set to activate in “height of burst” mode using an enhanced portable inductive artillery fuze setter.

During flight, the projectile “de-rolled” successfully, deployed canards, acquired GPS signals, calculated the navigation solution and maneuvered itself to the target, which it then destroyed.

The successful demonstration brings the program a step closer toward fulfilling an urgent request to put Excalibur in Soldier’s hands by early 2006, officials said.

A cooperative effort between the United States and Sweden, the program is managed by the Program Executive Office for Ammunition with the support of the U. S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center.

Raytheon Missile Systems and BAE/Bofors Defence Systems formed a contractor team that is designing the munition.

Subcontractors include General Dynamics, Honeywell, KDI Precision Products, Interstate Electronics Corporation and EaglePicher Technologies.

A special team headquartered at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., is managing the development effort.


"I have the Americans with me, and they have their death ray. Surrender or die!"   Gen. Abdul Rashid Dotsum. Afghan Warlord.

Oh... and these are still prototypes... when it's put into full scale production the cost per round will decrease signifigantly.

 

"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable."

Thorax