Army fires Excalibur precision guided ammunition from M-777 howitzers

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Indian Army has fired Excalibur precision-guided ammunition from M-777 artillery howitzers.

The Excalibur can penetrate 8-10 inches thick concrete bunkers and walls and will reduce the chances of collateral damage when used against the enemy.

The range of the Excalibur ammunition is between 35 and 40-km. The ammunition was fired on Monday at both concrete and sand bunkers.

The firing was witnessed by senior leadership of the Indian Army including Director General Artillery Lieutenant General Ravi Prasad.

In October, ANI had reported that the Indian army has inducted the indigenous Dhanush howitzer and the American precision-guided Excalibur artillery ammunition in its inventory.

The Excalibur ammunition has been acquired under the fast track procedure.

The ammunition can be busted in the air as well as after its penetration into bunker-type structures by using its different fuses.

The Excalibur ammunition was developed in the US for improving the accuracy of the artillery shells in the war in Afghanistan which the Americans have been fighting for almost two decades now.

The Army has also started inducting the US-made M-777 ultra-light howitzers which can be used for firing the Excalibur ammunition.

The M777 ultra-light howitzers were inducted into the Indian Army along with the K-9 Vajra and Dhanush howitzers at Deolali near Nashik. The Indian Army will induct a total of 145 M777 howitzers in service.

The M777 Howitzers are planned to be used mainly for warfare in mountainous terrains only due to their lightweight and ability to be airdropped by the Chinook heavy-lift helicopters in the high altitude areas in the Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.

K-9 Vajra is a self-propelled tracked howitzer offering a rate of fire at long range. It works on the shoot and scoot policy.

Dhanush 155mm/45 calibre towed gun system can be deployed in all types of terrains. The Dhanush gun system is based on the designs of the Bofors howitzer which was inducted in the Army in the 1980s.

The Army had placed an order for more than 110 of these guns with the Ordnance Factory.