2023-05-11 14:24:56
In the coming weeks, Spain will join the select club of countries that have Excalibur ammunition in their arsenal for the Army artillery, which is already finalizing the preparations for the first shot with these projectiles. Thus, the Field Artillery Command (MACA) plans to carry out this milestone during the second half of this year.
The first purchased projectiles are already in Spain and the MACA personnel have completed the necessary courses for the handling and use of artillery projectiles. Some steps related to security certificates and ballistics still need to be completed.
The first tests will be carried out with the 155/52 howitzer in service in the Field Artillery units. The Government approved at the end of December a contract for the acquisition of 153 Excalibur projectiles for 20 million euros. In mid-2021, the Army closed with Raytheon the purchase of another batch of a hundred units. This last order is the one that is already in Spain.
Excalibur Ammo
Excalibur is a GPS-guided 155mm projectile with an extended range of 40-55 kilometers and a probable circle of error of about five meters., produced by Raytheon and BAE Systems Bofors. Each projectile is equipped with a multifunction fuze, which makes it possible to program it at times, proximity or with a delay. The extended range of this ammunition is obtained through the use of collapsible sliding fins that allow the projectile to slide from the top of a ballistic arc towards the target.
Its guidance system, explains the Army, even allows “the projectile to describe a backward trajectory to hit a target that is hidden behind a mound. The projectile, in this case, describes an ascending parabola to overcome the obstacle and, on the descent, goes back to attack the target (modulable firing angle)”.
The ammunition must be accompanied by target acquisition systems that provide the necessary precision for the use of these guided munitions.. A study on the feasibility of launching Excalibur projectiles with the version of the M-109 howitzer in service with the Army is also planned.
The margin of error is minimal, between two and three meters, which also reduces the safety margins of our own personnel who are close to the target area. and minimizes the potential for collateral damage. Its precision is independent of the weapon system and weather conditions, and its logistical load reduced. The Army emphasizes that “Excalibur is so precise that it is designed to attack especially valuable targets that are in a dense population center, where an almost surgical action is necessary.”
The Excalibur projectile is a true precision weapon, impacting at a radial distance of less than two meters from the target. Unlike “near-precision” guidance systems, the Excalibur weapon provides accurate first-round effects at all ranges in all weather conditions. By utilizing the precision level of the Excalibur shell, the time, cost, and logistical burden associated with other artillery munitions is drastically reduced. Analysis has shown that, on average, it may take at least 10 conventional ammunition to achieve what an Excalibur weapon can achieve.
Compatibility
Excalibur ammunition is compatible with all howitzers it has been tested with. This weapon is fully qualified on multiple systems including the M777, M109 series, M198, Archer, and PzH2000. At the moment also compatible with AS90, K9, DENEL G6 and CAESAR 6×6 systems. Excalibur has been successfully fired from the US Army’s Extended Range Gun Artillery, or ERCA, and plans are underway to integrate it with other mobile artillery systems.
The accuracy of the Excalibur projectile, along with its ability to integrate into multiple weapon systems, allows tBoth the US and its coalition partners provide superior capabilities against ground targets in a variety of combat environments. This includes stationary ground targets.
Sweden, Canada, Australia, Jordan, India and the Netherlands, in addition to Spain, have chosen the Excalibur precision-guided projectile to address vital security interests, and several other international partners are finalizing acquisition plans.
multiple variants
No mission is the same. This is why several Excalibur variants exist to meet the unique needs of different battlefield scenarios.
- Excalibur 1B: the updated Excalibur 1B features enhanced shape trajectory software, or EST, that allows soldiers to eliminate targets in hard-to-reach places by selecting the projectile’s final or terminal phase angle of attack. This capability has been successfully tested and is being implemented in US forces.
- Excalibur HTK: Excalibur HTK has an armor penetrating warhead and takes advantage of the proven StormBreaker smart weapon design. Autonomously locate a target with an all-weather seeker that is effective against moving and imprecisely located targets.
- Excalibur S: a laser-guided version of the projectile, the Excalibur S incorporates a digital semi-active laser seeker that allows it to hit moving targets and engage targets without precise location information. It also reduces the risk associated with GPS interference.
- Excalibur N5: The sea-based Excalibur N5 is a 5-inch naval variant that more than doubles the maximum range of conventional 5-inch ammunition and provides the same accuracy as the terrestrial versions.
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