M982 Excalibur (rocket)

2022: Deliveries of shells to Ukraine

In September 2022, it became known about the supply of Excalibur M982 to Ukraine - 155-mm guided active rockets of increased range, launched from the howitzer barrel and using GPS guidance. According to Bloomberg, citing previously unpublished budget documents, Kyiv secretly receives such products from the United States.

According to the news agency, the supply of these ammunition to Ukrainian troops is confirmed by the Excalibur replenishment plan in the United States itself. The documents indicate that the Pentagon will spend "on an additional purchase of shells M982 Excalibur, which were transferred to Ukraine in support of international efforts to counter" Russia's military special operation in Ukraine, $92 million of additional funds approved by Congress. Thus, the Pentagon admitted that it supplied Excalibur shells to the Ukrainian side.

The United States delivered Excalibur GPS-guided shells to Ukraine

Bloomberg explains that these shells appear in the Additional Ukraine Supplementary Act, signed in May by US President Joe Biden, worth more than $40 billion. The Pentagon accounts for at least $20 billion, in particular, $6 billion in aid to Ukraine and $9 billion in replenishment of the spent American military arsenals.

M982 Excalibur was developed jointly by Raytheon Missiles and Defense and BAE Systems Bofor. According to the documents, the flight range of a satellite-guided projectile is 40.5 km, the range of hits during firing is 2 m. The M777 howitzer of 155 millimeters can fire with these ammunition. The United States, Canada and Australia supplied Ukraine with more than 100 units of such equipment (by September 7, 2022).^[1]

2008-2010: Development and Implementation

Initially, Excalibur was developed with a financial participation Sweden of $55.1 million, which was expected to receive serial ammunition in 2010. In 2008, the costs amounted to $85 thousand dollars per shell, during the production of large batches it is possible to reduce the cost to $50 thousand.

M982 Excalibur (formerly - XM982) 155-mm controlled active-rocket projectile of increased range, launched from the barrel of a howitzer. The smart shot had to have a firing range of 40 to 57 km, depending on the configuration, with a circular probable deviation of 4 m.

The increased range is achieved by using folding aerodynamic consoles that allow the projectile to plan to the target from the upper point of the ballistic trajectory. The accuracy of the hit is achieved using a signal receiver by a satellite navigation system. GPS For comparison, standard the American 155-mm shells have a circular probable deviation of about 200-300 m when firing at medium ranges.

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