Artillery Munitions - EMD

Abstract

Excalibur is a Precision Guided Extended Range 155mm Artillery projectile providing Brigade Combat Teams an organic precision fires capability. Additionally it provides improved fire support capability due to its increased range of 37.5 kilometers and demonstrated accuracy of < 4 meters radial miss distances, which enables a first round effect on target reducing the number of rounds required while reducing collateral damage. Excalibur is compatible with the M777A2 Lightweight 155mm Howitzer (LW155) and the M109A6 Paladin Howitzer and Sweden's Archer howitzer. Excalibur provides a 33% range increase over current Rocket Assisted Projectiles, with a < 10 meter accuracy circular error probable at all ranges. Excalibur is also highly resistant to Global Positioning System (GPS) jamming. Excalibur is an international program, teamed with the Kingdom of Sweden (KoS), who contributes resources towards the development and have procured rounds in accordance with an established Project Agreement for use in their Archer howitzer. Excalibur Increments Ia-1 and Ia-2 are currently fielded and in use by units throughout Afghanistan and deployed globally to support other Military Contingency Operations. The final increment of development funding is required in fiscal year 2014 in order to complete the Ib development tasks and execute the Ib Operational Test and Evaluation in accordance with the Test and Evaluation Master Plan. Operational testing will be conducted to obtain data for evaluation of the operational effectiveness of the Increment Ib projectile when used by a typical M109A6 or M777A2 firing battery to attack Excalibur targets. The test will provide data upon which to base an assessment of the ability of a typical artillery unit to employ Excalibur in accordance with doctrine, and in a timely manner, using the fire support system (target acquisition, fire direction and cannon systems), as well as projectile effects on target. Aspects of operational suitability (reliability, logistics supportability and MANPRINT) will also be evaluated on the basis of data from this test. Fiscal year 2014 funding supports the execution of this test event, including test range costs, instrumentation, and government support. This operational test will be executed concurrently with the Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) IOT&E. The test concept will exercise the entire fire support chain. The fiscal year 2014 funding will also fund the Excalibur Ib durability (20 year shelf life) test in order to obtain full material release and type classification standard of the increment Ib. The program was certified by the Defense Acquisition Executive (DAE) on January 10, 2011. The Excalibur requirement was again validated during a July 2012 Headquarters Department of the Army Configuration Steering Board (CSB). Increment Ib completed a successful Milestone C Decision Review on December 12, 2012. The first Low Rate Initial Production contract was awarded on December 21, 2012.

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Document Details

Document Type
R2 Budgetary Justification
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2014
Source ID
0604814A_5_2040_PB_2014
Change Summary Explanation
Service Agency Name
Army

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Army

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Acquisition
  • Artillery
  • Artillery Units
  • Contracts
  • Cost Analysis
  • Fire Support
  • Global Positioning Systems
  • Howitzers
  • Military Acquisition
  • Munitions
  • Projectiles
  • Reliability
  • Rocket Assisted Projectiles
  • Tactical Data Systems
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Weapons Effects

Readers

  • Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
  • Marksmanship and Weaponry.
  • Munitions and Ordnance Engineering

Technology Areas

  • 5G
  • 5G - DoD 5G Program
  • Space

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