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
You may also like
More from Land Warfare
-
![World Defense Show 2026: Saudi Arabia’s record defence spend highlights uncertain times]()
World Defense Show 2026: Saudi Arabia’s record defence spend highlights uncertain times
Saudi Arabia’s investment in its land forces, notably in the area of air defence as recently as 30 January, is a sign of the challenges the Gulf State faces, particularly the threat from Houthi rebels in Yemen.
-
![Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering’s Terrex s5 highlights hybrid power’s role in future warfare]()
Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering’s Terrex s5 highlights hybrid power’s role in future warfare
Hybrid-electric drive technology may address the growing energy demands of land warfare in future.
-
![CAVS rides a wave and prepares for surge requirements as orders roll in]()
CAVS rides a wave and prepares for surge requirements as orders roll in
The Common Armoured Vehicle System is continuing to rack up orders as the British Army looks likely to become an operator of the vehicle, while Italy and Ireland are also contenders.
-
![US DoD task force’s DroneHunter acquisition lays groundwork for Replicator 2 CUAS strategy]()
US DoD task force’s DroneHunter acquisition lays groundwork for Replicator 2 CUAS strategy
As the US Department of Defense looks to counter the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems to improve homeland security, the DroneHunter acquisition could point to future commercial innovation.
-
![Land forces review: Tanks, trucks and IFVs dominate but woes remain for Ajax]()
Land forces review: Tanks, trucks and IFVs dominate but woes remain for Ajax
This year has begun with main battle tanks taking the lead while orders for large logistics and support vehicles continued from last year. Additionally, two of the British Army’s most significant contracted vehicle programmes, Ajax reconnaissance vehicle and Challenger 3 tank, continued to make news in January.
