The United States has approved a $93 million weapons sale to India, meaning the country’s armed forces are set to receive more Javelin anti-tank missiles and Excalibur precision-guided artillery rounds.
Washington's Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on Wednesday confirmed that it delivered the required certifications, formally notifying the Congress. The sale means India is set to receive 100 FGM-148 Javelin missiles, 25 lightweight command launch units, and 216 Excalibur artillery rounds.
The first sale package worth $45.7 million will witness India getting Javelin FGM-148 missiles, fly-to-buy; 25 Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LwCLU) or Javelin Block 1 Command Launch Units (CLU), the DSCA said in a statement. The Excalibur Projectiles will be included in the $47.1 million-worth second package, which also includes other related equipment.
Meanwhile, reports claimed that another DSCA statement claimed that New Delhi is interested in getting another 216 pieces of M982A1 Excalibur tactical projectiles.
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While the Javelin always gets media limelight, not much is talked about the Excalibur precision-guided artillery, which is already part of India’s arsenal. Procured in October 2019, the Indian Army had fired them using M777 Howitzers during live tests. As many as 600 pieces of the artillery rounds were bought by the Defence Ministry to combine them with all 155 mm guns at the country's disposal, including the M777 Howitzer, Bofors, K9 Vajra, and Dhanush artillery guns. What makes the deal even more attractive is the fact is that these shells are more economical than guided rockets like those used in M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS.
Here are five things to know about the M982 Excalibur shells that are being bought by India from the United States.
1. The M982 Excalibur (previously XM982) artillery shells are developed in a collaborative effort between the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC). They are developed and manufactured by prime contractor Raytheon Missiles & Defence, BAE Systems AB (BAE Systems Bofors). They have been in service with the US Army since 2007.
2. Raytheon's official data claims that more than 1,400 rounds of these shells have been fired in combat to date. Sweden, Canada, Australia, Jordan, Spain, Ukraine, and the Netherlands are among the other users of these shells. Norway and Denmark have been listed among future buyers as deal discussions are yet to be finished as per available information.
3. Named after King Arthur's famed sword, Excaliburs are capable of engaging targets beyond the reach of conventional artillery even in challenging terrains. The US has said that they are capable of striking within two metres of the target “regardless of range.” The guided shells are capable of causing little to no collateral damage due to this accuracy factor—meaning the presence of friendlies or civilian settlements in the vicinity of the target need not deter their use, unlike in the case of conventional artillery fire.
4. While it may take several rounds before the conventional firing can pinpoint enemy positions in combat zones, the manufacturer claims Excalibur can start taking out enemy assets from the first round as each shell will not drop more than two metres from the target. Simply put, a target that might take one battery of six howitzers to destroy could be wiped out by a single Excalibur-armed howitzer. "Unlike “near precision” guidance systems, the Excalibur weapon provides accurate first-round effects at all ranges in all weather conditions. This weapon system also extends the reach of 39-calibre artillery to 40 kilometres, 52-calibre artillery to 50 kilometres, and 58-calibre artillery to 70 kilometres," Raytheon claims about the range of its famed product.
5. The principle that makes them more accurate and long-ranging than traditional artillery projectiles can be thus explained: Once Excalibur is shot and bolts out of the barrel, its guidance fins pop out of its base. While the shell starts its journey to wreak havoc on a standard ballistic trajectory, it then levels out and flies like a missile. Upon approaching the target, it turns nose-down to dive-bomb it.
Excalibur variants avaible:
- Excalibur 1B: The upgraded Excalibur 1B features Enhanced Shaped Trajectory, or EST, software that enables soldiers to eliminate targets in hard-to-reach locations by selecting the projectile’s terminal or final phase attack angle. This capability was successfully tested and is being deployed to U.S. forces.
- Excalibur HTK: Excalibur HTK has an armor-penetrating warhead and leverages the proven StormBreaker smart weapon design. It autonomously locates a target with an all-weather seeker that is effective against moving and imprecisely located targets.
- Excalibur S: A laser-guided version of the projectile, the Excalibur S incorporates a digital semi-active laser seeker that allows it to hit moving targets and engage and strike targets without accurate location information. It also reduces the risk associated with GPS jamming.
- Excalibur N5: The sea-based Excalibur N5 is a 5-inch naval variant that more than doubles the maximum range of conventional 5-inch munitions and provides the same accuracy as land-based versions.
