The M982 Excalibur (previously XM982) is a 155 mm extended range guided artillery shell developed by Raytheon Missile Systems and BAE Systems Bofors. It is a precise GPS-guided munition capable of being used in close support situations within 150 metres (490 ft) of friendly troops.
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The munition was developed on 50/50 basis by United States-based Raytheon Missile Systems (guidance system) and the Swedish BAE Systems Bofors (body, base, ballistics and payload) .[1] The "smart" round has a range of approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) to 57 kilometres (35 mi) depending on configuration, with a circular error probable (CEP) of around 20 metres (66 ft). The extended range is achieved through the use of folding glide fins, which allow the projectile to glide from the top of a ballistic arc towards the target. The accuracy is achieved through the use of a GPS guidance system. Typical (unguided) 155 mm shells have a CEP of 200 metres (660 ft) to 300 metres (980 ft) at moderate ranges.[1]
The munition was developed with US$55.1 million in financial assistance from Sweden, which expected to receive service rounds in 2010. As of 2008[update] unit cost was US$85,000, potentially dropping to US$50,000 in full-scale production.[2] The weapon can make first round strikes on targets up to 20 kilometres (12 mi) away.
Excalibur is used to minimize collateral damage, for targets beyond the range of standard munitions, for precise firing within 150 metres (490 ft) of friendly troops, or when firing in a straight line from the launching cannon is limited by terrain.[1][3]
The US Army rate Excalibur as one of the Top 10 Army Greatest Inventions of the Year Award for 2007.[4][5]
Initial combat experience with Excalibur in Iraq in the summer of 2007 was so successful, with 92% of rounds falling within 4 metres (13 ft) of the target, that the US Army planned to increase production to 150 rounds per month from the previous 18 rounds per month.[6][7]
There are three versions of the system (initial development effort was towards Block I):
The round is compatible with the following guns: