With more than 1,400 rounds fired in combat to date, the Excalibur® artillery projectile is the revolutionary, extended-range, precision munition for U.S. and international artillery forces.

Excalibur increases precision, minimizes collateral damage and reduces the logistical burden for artillery forces.

True precision weapon

The Excalibur projectile, co-developed by Raytheon and BAE Systems Bofor, is a true precision weapon, impacting at a radial miss 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. This weapon system also extends the reach of .39-caliber artillery to 40 kilometers, .52-caliber artillery to 50 kilometers, and .58-caliber artillery to 70 kilometers. 

By using the Excalibur projectile's level of precision, there is a dramatic reduction in the time, cost and logistical burden associated with other artillery munitions. Analyses have shown that on average, it can take at least 10 conventional munitions to accomplish what one Excalibur weapon can.

Compatibility

The Excalibur munition is compatible with every howitzer with which it’s been tested. This weapon is fully qualified in multiple systems, including the M777, M109 series, M198, the Archer and PzH2000. It’s also currently compatible with the AS90, K9, DENEL G6, and CAESAR 6x6 systems. Excalibur has been successfully fired from the U.S. Army's Extended Range Cannon Artillery, or ERCA, and plans are underway to integrate it with other mobile artillery systems.

The Excalibur projectile’s precision, coupled with its ability to be integrated on multiple gun systems, enables both the U.S. and its coalition partners to provide overmatch capabilities against land targets in a variety of combat environments. This includes stationary land targets.

Sweden, Canada, Australia, Jordan, India, Spain and the Netherlands have chosen the Excalibur precision-guided projectile to address vital security interests, and several other international partners are finalizing procurement plans.

Multiple variants

No mission is the same. That's why there are several Excalibur variants to meet the unique needs of different battlefield scenarios.

  • Excalibur 1B: The upgraded Excalibur 1B features Enhanced Shaped Trajectory, or EST, software that enables soldiers to eliminate targets in hard-to-reach locations by selecting the projectile's terminal or final phase attack angle. This capability was successfully tested and is being deployed to U.S. forces.
  • Excalibur HTK: Excalibur HTK has an armor-penetrating warhead and leverages the proven StormBreaker smart weapon design. It autonomously locates 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 and strike targets without accurate location information. It also reduces the risk associated with GPS jamming.
  • Excalibur N5: The sea-based Excalibur N5 is a 5-inch naval variant that more than doubles the maximum range of conventional 5-inch munitions and provides the same accuracy as land-based versions.

 

The U.S. Marine Corps prepare an Excalibur® 155 mm projectile round on Fire Base Bell, Iraq, while conducting fire missions. (Photo: U.S. Marine Corps)
The U.S. Marine Corps prepare an Excalibur® 155 mm projectile round on Fire Base Bell, Iraq, while conducting fire missions. (Photo: U.S. Marine Corps)
The Excalibur munition’s naval 5-inch variant will offer long-range precision fire to counter fast attack craft and provide naval surface fire support. (Photo: U.S. Navy)
The Excalibur munition’s naval 5-inch variant will offer long-range precision fire to counter fast attack craft and provide naval surface fire support. (Photo: U.S. Navy)
U.S. Marines fire an M982 Excalibur projectile round from an M777 155 mm howitzer during a fire support mission at Fire Base Fiddlers Green, Helmand province. (Photo: U.S. Department of Defense)
U.S. Marines fire an M982 Excalibur projectile round from an M777 155 mm howitzer during a fire support mission at Fire Base Fiddlers Green, Helmand province. (Photo: U.S. Department of Defense)
The Excalibur projectile’s N5 naval variant will soon be fired from ships like the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey. (Photo: U.S. Navy)
The Excalibur projectile’s N5 naval variant will soon be fired from ships like the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey. (Photo: U.S. Navy)
The latest variant of the Excalibur precision-guided projectile will be used by armies and will be available for naval ships.
The latest variant of the Excalibur precision-guided projectile will be used by armies and will be available for naval ships.