Precision Power: The M982 Excalibur Round and its Game-Changing Role in Modern Warfare
The M982 Excalibur round, a product of the U.S. defense sector, has been making waves on the international stage due to its pivotal role in Ukraine’s standoff with Russia. This prominence was solidified by Ukraine’s top General, Valeriy Zaluzhny, who showcased the round’s devastating effectiveness against Russian forces. But the Excalibur is more than just an artillery round; it’s a groundbreaking military solution that empowers troops to strike with unparalleled precision and power.
This exceptional accuracy ensures the delivery of first-round effects, significantly reducing the chances for enemy forces to execute defensive maneuvers or initiate evacuation. Consequently, the Excalibur sets a new benchmark in strategic artillery, changing the landscape of modern warfare.
The Excalibur is a GPS-guided 6.1-inch artillery shell that serves as an advanced alternative to conventional military ammunition. Known for its near pinpoint accuracy, this game-changing weapon can hit targets within a seven-foot radius. As revealed in Pentagon budget documents, the Excalibur boasts an operational range of 25 miles and in testing scenarios, it has successfully hit a truck over 40 miles away.
BAE Systems, the manufacturer of the Excalibur, emphasizes that the weapon’s precision remains consistent regardless of the distance between the launch site and the target. It possesses a circular error probability, a measure of a weapon’s precision, of less than 32.8 feet.
The operation of the M982 Excalibur shell is an intricate process that combines cutting-edge technology and sophisticated military tactics. After loading and arming the Excalibur round in a compatible artillery piece, the Enhanced Portable Inductive Artillery Fuse Setter is used to input data such as the target’s location, platform position, and GPS-specific information into the projectile’s mission computer.
Upon firing, the Excalibur shell commences its trajectory towards the target. This trajectory is optimized by the shell’s internal GPS receiver and inertial navigation system, which work in unison to provide in-flight guidance. This robust guidance system mitigates the impact of environmental factors and potential electronic warfare disruptions, allowing the shell to strike with an accuracy of fewer than 6.6 feet missed distance, regardless of the operational range.
When the shell reaches the highest point in its trajectory, the guided flight to the target commences. Throughout this flight, the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Navigation System (INS) continuously support the navigation and guidance systems in correcting the shell’s course, as long as it has the kinetic energy to continue its flight.
The Excalibur’s cutting-edge design includes three fuse options: point detonation, point detonation delay, and height of burst, which can be chosen based on the nature of the target and the surrounding battlefield conditions. This versatility ensures the Excalibur’s usability in a variety of weather conditions and terrains.
When the shell reaches its target, depending on the selected fuse option, it detonates on impact, shortly after impact, or at a preset altitude. The first-round effects on target are substantial, and the precise accuracy of the Excalibur helps minimize collateral damage and the number of rounds required to engage targets. This capability is especially useful in urban warfare scenarios or when enemy forces are in close proximity to non-combatants or friendly troops.
Compatible self-propelled guns include the American M109 A6 Paladin and M109A7, British AS-90, German PzH2000, South African G6, and Swedish Archer. Towed guns like the American M198 and M777 Howitzers also work with the Excalibur projectile. Interestingly, the Excalibur was reported to have been used with AHS Krab in combat in Ukraine in 2022, reaching ranges of over 31 miles.
One crucial factor to consider about the Excalibur shells is their cost. Each round is priced at around one hundred thousand dollars, as per the mentioned documents, a stark contrast to the conventional munitions like the M795, the U.S. military’s standard unguided 6.1-inch shell, which only costs a few hundred dollars. A more economical alternative to the Excalibur is the M1156 Precision Guidance Kit, a U.S. Army-designed retrofit system that converts existing artillery shells into precision weapons.
It is reported that the U.S. has dispatched around 3,000 Excalibur rounds to Ukraine since Russia’s incursion last year. The M982 Excalibur round, with its unparalleled precision, has proven to be a significant asset in the face of overwhelming Russian artillery during the Ukraine conflict. Although it hasn’t entirely shifted the tide of the war, it has undeniably equipped Ukraine with a crucial defensive edge.
