Precision Guided Munition Can Now Engage Moving Targets

Raytheon’s new EXCALIBUR S precision-guided munition scored direct hits on moving targets in a recent US Navy test, the company announced on 5 February.

Testing validated the projectile’s ability to survive the shock and stress of being fired from a howitzer, then transition from GPS to laser guidance and hit a moving target.

EXCALIBUR S uses the GPS technology developed for (and now in service on) the EXCALIBUR IB variant and incorporates a semi-active laser seeker to engage mobile land and maritime targets at comparable ranges. Existing IB projectiles can be upgraded with EXCALIBUR S capabilities.

“Using artillery to engage moving targets gives soldiers more flexibility,” explained Sam Deneke, Vice President for Raytheon Land Warfare Systems. “Artillery is typically used to hit stationary objects, but EXCALIBUR S expands the capability of artillery on the battlefield.”

A true precision weapon, EXCALIBUR impacts at a radial miss distance of less than two metres from the target. Widely used by US and international artillery forces, EXCALIBUR has been fired more than 1,400 times in combat.