Excalibur, global positioning system (GPS)-guided artillery shells, are on their way to Kuwait for deployment in Iraq, according to U.S. Army officials at the Picatinny Arsenal in N.J. This weapon was developed by Raytheon and BAE Systems over the past 11 years. During testing in late 2006 by the U.S. Army, 13 of 14 Excalibur rounds fired at targets at ranges up to 24 kilometers hit within 10 meters — which is said to be unusually accurate for artillery rounds. Conventional artillery rounds exhibit an accuracy of  70 to 100 meters at 10 kilometers, and 200 to 300 meters at 30 kilometers. In addition, rounds were fired from gun barrels pointed as much as 15 degrees off the target, which confirmed the ability of the rounds to correct their paths in flight.

The Excalibur 155-mm, projectile, also known as the M982 ER DPICM (extended range dual-purpose improved conventional munitions) projectile, is able to attack soft and armored vehicles and reinforced bunkers, at ranges that exceed the capabilities of 155 mm rounds in the past. In addition to its accuracy, the Excalibur also reduces collateral damage through its concentrated fragmentation pattern and near-vertical descent.

The Excalibur is part of a family of precision-guided, extended-range modular projectiles that incorporate three unique payload capabilities: Block I comprises high-explosive, fragmenting, or penetrating unitary munitions to enhance traditional fire support operations with increased range, improved accuracy, and reduced collateral damage against personnel, light materiel, and structure targets. Block II consists of smart munitions to search, detect, acquire and engage fleeting and short-dwell targets common to open-terrain battlefields. Whereas Block III consists of munitions that are able to selectively identify and engage individual vehicular targets in urban environments by distinguishing specific target characteristics.

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