Artillery hasn’t been all that helpful in the Iraq counterinsurgency. Even in trained hands, heavy, indirect fire is pretty indiscriminate. Bystanders often get killed, while intended targets slip away.
Which is why the Army has been bankrolling “Excalibur,” a Raytheon effort to build a 155mm artillery shell that’s guided by GPS. Think of it as the howitzer’s answer to smart bombs.
Each Excalibur round comes with a multi-function fuze with three settings — height of burst (HOB), point detonating (PD) and delay, Raytheon notes. “An HOB setting will enable soldiers and marines in contact to engage enemy forces on rooftops and in windows while the delay setting will be ideal for penetrating structures and other enemy strongpoints. The PD fuze will be effective against enemy troops, light armor and trucks.“
The company just finished a set of Excalibur tests out at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The plans are for the munition to be fielded in the next six months.
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Sat-Guided Cannon Ready to Blast
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Pull down that link, it damn near got me fired…
Way to be a tool, assa.
Wouldn’t it be more accurate to describe this as ‘sat-guided artillery shells’, since it’s the shell that uses GPS terminal guidance?
In any case, I think it’s a bit disingenuous of Raytheon to imply that this eliminates the probability of collateral damage. 155mm shells make a big freaking blast when they explode, and regardless of whether they do so at roof or window level anybody on that side of the building is in for it.
It’s good that the troops will sometimes have the option of calling in precision artillery strikes, with much smaller minimum-safe-distance limitations. My problem is with unrealistic expectations, like the ability to take out an enemy combatant at window level without major collateral damage.
I cant see a bunch of soldiers calling off a shell in mid flight because the group of bad guys ran into a civilian marketplace. Hopefully we come up with something better for urban combat. Maybe a direct fire UAV because of the small amount of time it would take for the munition to reach its target. Else in urban fighting a SAT guided artillery shell is not going to be much good if the bad guys move to a place where the collateral damage would be too high. It would be just wasting a perfectly good artillery shell.
Maybe the Army has some hyper speed artillery shell that has a time to target of under 5 seconds but I doubt it.
This weapon would rock though for non urban combat. Like engaging vehicle(s) or a roving group of bad guys.
What vehicle is this round designed for?
Sadly if this causes an additional process of programming the round, and not automatically, it could delay the much needed speedy return fire or suppresion fire mission.
Oh and I assuming the round can actually change target in mid flight in order to “follow the bad guys”. The article doesnt say.
Let test the Gun in Iraq first.
& then place near the US Mex border area.
Nice defense.
PGM by cannon.
Let test the Gun in Iraq first.
& then place near the US Mex border area.
Nice defense.
PGM by cannon.
why not it put in battleship with it? like BB-61, BB-62 etc.
They use the delay detonation to avoid collateral damage. Round goes into the ground and most of the blast effect is very “localised” because most of the blast goes up not out. Anyone hear about the Airforce using cement bombs with GPS to avoid collateral damage?
Semper Fi,
Tipy
With a 50 meter kill radius for a 155mm HE they might as well load it with concrete and try and hit them in the head to avoid hurting someones feelings. It requires a skilled operator to locate the target to the nearest meter (easting/northing/elevation). A cheaper Laser guided would have been better so as to follow the tgt. Keep giving the contactors BILLIONS and they will say anything.
The Chief of Staff of the Army,General Schoomaker needs to be informed about Excalibur (and other very accurate artillery,like Guided MLRS,already used successfully in Iraq). He recently was quoted as saying,“what makes artillery heavy is the ammunition. It takes 70 rounds from one gun at a fixed target to get a high probability of kill.You do the math.Why in the world would we continue to build in that direction instead of turning to precision strike aircraft that don’t depend on ammunition trucks in forward locations…“
Please someone let the Chief know he is ill-informed,or just under pressure to do the “joint thing” by telling us to go to the Air Force.
Byron, Byron…
Again, you write nonsense. First of all, Field Artillery Battalions are NOT being disbanded. Instead, they are being reorganized. For example, instead of having a DIVARTY acting as an independent brigade, the FA battalions within DIVARTY are now organic to the self-contained brigades. The Battalions eliminated one of the three batteries, but augmented the other two with the former battery’s equipment and personnel. No loss there. Furthermore, fires are now even more responsive than before.
While we were in Iraq not only did we conduct patrols and convoy ops, but also counterfire missions and fire in support of infantry ops. So trust me, we are still firing…
If you think Ft Sill is a National Guard post, you are sorely mistaken. It is still as vibrant as ever training FA and poised to recieve thousands more troops under BRAC. I am in the Field Artillery, I know.
Get your facts straight Mr. Negative, I mean Skinner.
Thanks
What worries me about all this satellite dependent stuff is what happens if your satellites get taken out by an EMP blast from a close proximity missile in space?
All the net-centric stuff, the future forces sat-dependent stuff, just how protected is it all from things like EMP, or cyber attack? And what happens if you loose it? Can you still function in an older, more conventional way? What if your carrier battle group is blinded? Then what?
We need Star Wars weapons to protect our Sats.
They better have their defecation into consolidation, kilo echo has a point !!
“With a 50 meter kill radius for a 155mm HE they might as well load it with concrete and try and hit them in the head to avoid hurting someones feelings. It requires a skilled operator to locate the target to the nearest meter (easting/northing/elevation). A cheaper Laser guided would have been better so as to follow the tgt. Keep giving the contactors BILLIONS and they will say anything.“
Good point. Or maybe a .50 cal with a microchip and sensor in it! (“Smart munitions”) Or just send a sniper team after them!
Does seem like kind of a waste for a 155mm round. Maybe this is the biggest ‘sniper rifle’ ever invented! But who am I to argue with ‘defense experts?’
Mr. Skynner,
Yet again you prove not to have an idea of the lingo involved in this “deactivation.” DIVARTYs do not evaporate, they are split and incorporated into the other brigades. As I wrote in my previous post(you can check it), is that while the DIVARTY is no longer a separate brigade, the units in the DIVARTY are now part of the brigade. Perhaps you have a reading problem…
As far as being “disconnected,” far from the truth. I am stationed right here at Fort Hood, home of the 1st Cav, III Corps, 13 COSCOM and 4th ID, later 3rd ACR. Where are you? In a cave hiding from the black helicopters used by the evil military-industrial complex?
In my previous post I also noted that our mission is varied: “While we were in Iraq not only did we conduct patrols and convoy ops, but also counterfire missions and fire in support of infantry ops. So trust me, we are still firing…” Did I write that or not Byron? Problems with your reading…
Again, as an artillery man, I have far more insight than you on Fort Sill. While they have been traing National Guard troops like every other active post (Ft Hood is doing the same), before sending them overseas, it does not mean they are now National Guard posts. Are they controlled by state officials? I don’t think so Byron.
And what’s up with wishing for the death of our Generals Byron? Are you demented? Only someone with a very bad problem, or an enemy of the country, would wish for something like that. It’s okay to dissent, but you are taking it too far… Our Generals have a proven military record and are some of the most brilliant minds in our country. People like you, constantly bitching and moaning about everything the government does or fails to do, only make the job harder for them. So go on patriot, keep making no sense!
Thanks!!
THIS IS REALLY GREAT!!!
With a new smart it could very well be effective. But to tell you one thing i learned as an artillery man, is that the copperhead round has been our laser guided round and it is a big waste of money. It is old and not effective when it does its own thing. If you want to build a new round build one that will destroy things better. Civilian casualties are apart of war and its going to continue for years, so i would not go on and blame arty for every round that goes short or long. We just need better upgrades to a systems that has worked for years.
all the writings are vague and
with out any sense