U.S. Excalibur shells supplied to Ukraine

The Pentagon has sent Ukraine its most accurate artillery shell, the GPS-guided Excalibur, according to budget documents


M982 EXCALIBUR: Extended-range guided artillery shell

Guidance fins: Pop out after launch, allowing shell to glide to longer ranges

Canard wings
Manoeuvre shell in flight

Radome

Height of burst sensor

Soldier and shell to scale

Guidance, navigation and control

Payload


SPECIFICATIONS
Shell length	100cm
Diameter	155mm
Weight		48kg
Firing range 	40.5km
Warhead weight 	22kg 
Accuracy	Within 2m of target


1 Firing 
Weapon system enters target coordinates. Shell travels at high angle as it leaves barrel

Diagram not to scale
1

2 Glide: Shell levels out as it reaches top of arc and begins flying like missile

2
Comparison of standard artillery shell trajectory

3 Guidance
Shell directed along pre-programmed trajectory by GPS, entering nosedive as it approaches target
3

4 Target
Fuse can be set to explode in air, on contact with hard surface or after shell has penetrated target
4

155mm howitzer 


Sources: BAE Systems, Bloomberg, Raytheon
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