Excalibur upgrade complete
Raytheon and the US Army have completed the upgrade of Excalibur precision-guided projectile, the company announced on 9 October.
The Excalibur Shaped Trajectory (EST) variant will enable soldiers to eliminate targets in hard-to-reach locations by selecting the projectile's terminal or final phase attack angle. The new capability gives the ability to attack a bunker positioned on the opposite side of a mountain slope, target a multi-storey building from the side rather than the top or defeat enemy assets positioned under highway overpasses.
The EST variant was demonstrated in August 2018 at the US Army Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, and is now being deployed to US forces.
Excalibur is an extended-range, precision munition that is fully qualified in multiple systems, including the M777, M109 series, M198, the Archer and PzH2000. It has also been tested in the AS90, K9 and G6 howitzers, with plans to integrate it with other mobile artillery systems.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
The overlooked ally: Canadian support for Ukraine surpasses some European partners
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Canada has committed more military assistance than France in terms of GDP.
-
France mulls new turret options to increase its VBCI IFV’s firepower
The proposed enhancements could better position the French Army’s armoured infantry fighting vehicle for future export campaigns.
-
US Army moves towards calls for bids for medium UGV as competitors warm up
The US Army’s Medium Modular Equipment Transport Trailer (M-METT) programme is planned to provide a platform between Increment II of Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport and the Palletized Load System.
-
Why bridging the gap between military and COTS systems is key to seamless defence comms (Studio)
Technology that enables armed forces to leverage existing network infrastructure can be a game-changer in many combat scenarios.
-
Europe’s future tank hits targets as MARTE programme gains momentum
An effort to develop a new European main battle tank has passed several milestones on the road to a Preliminary Design Review which is expected within two years.
-
UK MoD clears British Army’s Ajax saying “no safety concerns when operated properly”
The British Army’s Ajax armoured personnel carrier has a chequered history but hopes were high when Initial Operating Capability was declared last year. More problems saw operations suspended but the MoD reports it has identified the problems and short- and medium-term solutions.