Record-Breaking Launch: Excalibur Artillery Round Soars from CAESAR Howitzer by Raytheon Missiles & Defense

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a division of Raytheon Technologies, in collaboration with the U.S. Army and the French firm Nexter, successfully launched Excalibur artillery projectiles from a CAESAR self-propelled howitzer. This trial validated the compatibility among Excalibur, the U.S. Army’s Modular Artillery Charge System (MACS), and CAESAR.

During the evaluation, the CAESAR-fired Excalibur accurately struck two targets at a distance exceeding 46 kilometers, setting a new range record for this artillery system.

“The integration with CAESAR now enhances mobility for the long-range and reliable precision of Excalibur, offering the U.S. Army and allied nations greater versatility with this advanced and adaptable weapons system in contested scenarios,” stated Sam Deneke, Vice President of Execution for Land Warfare & Air Defense at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. “This achievement emphasizes the interoperability between a French howitzer and a U.S. munition, providing our clients with more options to employ Excalibur artillery across various platforms.”

Building upon past compatibility evaluations, this demonstration marked a crucial milestone toward the operational capability of Excalibur’s integration with CAESAR.

“Selected by eight allied nations, CAESAR is arguably the most effective truck-mounted artillery system available today,” remarked Thierry Soulat, Program Manager at Nexter. “This demonstration with Excalibur highlights CAESAR’s compliance with NATO standards for both conventional and precision munitions.”

The Excalibur projectile is an exemplary precision weapon, striking within a radial miss distance of less than two meters from the target, ensuring accurate first-round effects across all ranges and weather conditions. With its GPS-guided technology and multiple fuze options, it stands out as a top artillery choice for various countries utilizing the M777, M109 series, M198, the Archer, the PzH2000, and the SIAC systems. Preliminary evaluations suggest potential compatibility with the AS90, K9, and G6 howitzers.