Perusing the list of the latest $2.5 billion dollar package of American military aid to
Ukraine, major developments stand out: Dozens of Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Stryker
armored personnel carriers, and Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles are now all headed
overseas.
But an innocuous inclusion to the list also stands out: Alongside 20,000 155mm artillery
rounds, the US is also sending “600 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds.”
And that is significant.
The guided round in question is the M982 Excalibur artillery projectile, a round only fired 1,400
times in combat to date.
It is a very impressive munition.
Excalibur rounds use extendable glider fins and GPS guidance to transform a “dumb”
shell into a highly accurate, all-weather weapon that can strike a target up to 35 miles
away within an error radius of 13 feet; for comparison normal shells can only be fired
15 miles with an error radius of 490 feet.
Raytheon executives call this one-round-to-one-target feature a “sniper-like capability.”
While normal artillery rounds are fired in a predictable, neat ballistic arc, the Excalibur’s
variable glide track resembles something you might ordinarily see on a far more expensive
cruise missile.
This is one of the major draws of the Excalibur.
Its pinpoint accuracy means you don’t need to use it to suppress enemy forces; you can
hit them outright on the first try.
This implies a lighter logistical footprint and the added benefit of firing at targets
near friendly units without as much collateral damage.
Excalibur shells can be programmed to detonate in the air over a target or penetrate them
head-on.
They boast a success rate so impressive it has been reported that “one Excalibur projectile
can accurately hit an intended target that would require the use of between 10 and 50
unguided artillery rounds.”
The Excalibur’s GPS receiver is even jam-resistant, receiving in-flight guidance from its inertial
navigational system.
This should protect it from any Russian electronic warfare platforms.
In Iraq Excaliburs were used by the US Army to great effect.
Thanks to its NATO-standard size, they can be fired from M109A6 Paladins, British AS-90s,
German PzH 2000s, the Polish AHS Krab, and Swedish Archer howitzers—some of which have
been generously donated for Ukrainian use.
They can even be fired from towed American M777 and M198 howitzers.
Yes, Excaliburs are far more expensive than their traditional 155mm counterparts—it’ll
cost you a cool $68,000 to fire one compared to an $800 unguided shell.
But it is far cheaper than expending a $150,000 HIMARS rocket on a smaller target.
In that sense, what it lacks in affordability it certainly makes up for in accuracy.
Ukrainian units have been hunting Russian munitions supply depots and command centers
for months now, benefitting from accurate Western intelligence and satellite imagery
as they attempt to cripple the Russian war machine.
Munitions shortages have been reported on both sides, making it even more important
to economize and prioritize fire missions for the most important targets.
Excaliburs come in multiple variants to match the needs of your mission.
Some have Enhanced Shaped Trajectory (EST) software, designed to help attackers get the
most out of their rounds by “selecting the projectile’s terminal final phase attack
angle.”
Others have armor-penetrating warheads that make use of proven StormBreaker smart weapon
design, autonomously locating a target even if it s moving in a snowstorm.
Laser guided variants mitigate the risk of GPS jamming.
There’s even one you can fire from 5-inch naval guns at sea!
In an interview with TASS Russian state media, a high ranking member of the Donetsk People’s
Republic Militia (DPR) reiterated the lethality of the M982 Excalibur guided artillery shell.
In his mind, the Excalibur was “potentially the most dangerous part of the US military
assistance to Ukraine…these munitions are equipped with a seeker and can adjust their
flight path upon approaching the target.
They are GPS-and-intertidal guided,” he added, claiming the DPRs best hope at mitigating
the threat would be to destroy the rounds while stored in warehouses.
“They must be prevented from ever being delivered to firing positions,” he concluded.
With artillery rounds being hurled across the frontlines at an insane rate, the Ukrainians
have already delivered devastating damage with the addition of the accurate M142 High
Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
(MLRS) to their arsenal.
Tens of thousands of 155mm howitzer rounds are being used each month by Ukraine’s armed
forces.
They already possess the firing platforms to accommodate the Excalibur round, so it
won’t require any extra training or logistics.
Decades of experimentation have gone into the Excalibur to perfect its use.
Work began on the project in a partnered effort between BAE Systems and Raytheon; in the arrangement,
BAE manufactured the base, body, and payload, while Raytheon worked on the projectile’s
guidance system.
In 2004, the project merged with a Swedish-US program, and the first experimental firing
took place in 2003.
The United States doesn’t plan on leaving its stocks of Excaliburs dry after their generous
donation.
It cost the Department of Defense a cool $92 million dollars to replace its first series
of donated shells back in September 2022.
The ability to guarantee the destruction of a single target—a tank, bunker, or supply
depot—using a single, well placed artillery round will become even more significant as
the war drags on.
The M982 Excalibur’s trajectory adjustable glide slope and seven-foot strike zone opens
up a whole host of new offensive possibilities.
Luckily for the Ukrainians, this type of shells won’t only come from the United States,
with Germany donating several hundred Vulcano 155mm guided shells.
Together, these “one round, one kill” weapons will strike terror on the battlefield
as long as stocks remain filled and Russian targets expose themselves to danger.