PRECISION SUCCESS
SAFETY FIRST
A large test crew worked on the firing event in December. Every measurement and detail is checked before firing by the test crew—safety is paramount at Yuma Proving Ground. (Photo by Ana Henderson, Yuma Proving Ground)
Providing a longer range than that of potential adversaries is a signifi- cant combat multiplier for maneuver commanders. Te Long Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team was estab- lished to tackle that objective. Its mission includes increasing lethality, improv- ing rates of fire and enabling deep fires to shape the battlefield and set conditions for the brigade combat team’s close and deep fight. Multiple programs, including new propellant charges, the self-propelled howitzer ERCA system with 58-caliber cannon, multiple projectiles with varying capabilities, and target identification and tracking systems, are under parallel devel- opment to increase range and reduce the time from target identification to effects on target.
TEST PREP
The ERCA program aims to field systems capable of accurately firing at targets more than 70 km away, a dramatic increase over the 30 km a currently fielded 155 mm howitzer shell is capable of when fired at top zone with rocket assistance. (Photo by Mark Schauer, Yuma Proving Ground)
GOOD MADE BETTER Te Excalibur 70 km demonstration is one of many steps to regaining U.S. suprem- acy in cannon artillery by 2023. For more than 15 years, the M982A1 Excalibur projectile has been the premier precision artillery munition in the U.S. arsenal. Te projectile's reliability, robust structural design and the ability to course correct while maintaining both precision and accuracy were leveraged to achieve 70 km range during the test.
IN THE FIELD
Soldiers of 10th Mountain Division assist with preparing an M982A1 Excalibur for a live fire event on Fort Polk, Louisiana, in June. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Ashley M. Morris, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division)
Throughout initial development and multiple years of operational use, Excali- bur subsystems were proven to be effective with the current 39-caliber gun systems in the M109A6/A7 Self-Propelled Howit- zer and M777A2 Towed Howitzer fleets. However, the increased pressure to achieve the muzzle velocity required for 70 km range from the longer 58-caliber ERCA cannon created harsher environments. As a result, the major focus became maintain- ing flight stability and safety.
“Testing in late 2019 revealed that the Excalibur warhead had sufficient margin
60 Army AL&T Magazine Spring 2021
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