Excalibur Artillery Ukraine - Earlier this month, the United States announced a massive $3.75 billion military aid package to Ukraine, including several advanced weapons systems such as Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and Sea Sparrow missiles that have never been sent to Kyiv before.
In addition to massive military aid, Washington is considering sending sophisticated Stryker armored vehicles and lobbying its German counterparts to free up Berlin for Leopard-2 tanks for Ukraine.
Excalibur Artillery Ukraine
However, despite their game-changing equipment, they do not intimidate the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) militia as much as US-guided artillery.
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The DPR militia told Russian state news agency TASS that the M982 Excalibur-guided artillery is potentially the most dangerous part of US military aid to Ukraine and must be destroyed while in warehouses.
"This is probably the most dangerous part of delivery. These munitions are equipped with a seeker and can adjust their flight path as they approach the target. They are GPS and tidally guided," said a spokesman for the DPR People's Militia.
"There can be only one countermeasure - effective counter-battery activity, the warehouses where the ammunition is stored and the vehicles are transported to the launch pads. They should be prevented from reaching the firing point," he added.
This is particularly noteworthy because the DPR also told TASS that the US-made Stryker armored vehicles are "nothing special" and that their supply to pro-Kyiv forces only serves to highlight the fact that Ukraine's armed forces are getting little armored vehicles .
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The DPR militia chief's statement comes as intense fighting rages in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said on January 13 that the "enemy" had concentrated its greatest forces in this direction.
The Pentagon announced on January 6 that the $3.5 billion package will include 500 M982 Excalibur GPS-guided artillery. Shells began arriving in Ukraine and have since wreaked havoc on Russian and DPR forces.
Excalibur is crucial to Ukraine's counteroffensive operations. With accuracy, a single guided howitzer shell can completely destroy a target, such as a tank, bunker or supply depot.
Furthermore, volleys of conventional, unguided missiles can miss enemy positions. Therefore, GPS-guided munitions significantly increase Ukraine's firepower.
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Ukraine Bradleys, M113s, MRAPs, M109 Paladins, M119 105mm howitzers, Rim-7 missiles, Zuni anti-aircraft missiles and more in today's $2.85 billion US military aid package. /KvwK6H0TMl — Recon Ghost Fella 🍒 (@reconghostsamar) January 6, 2023
Although the military aid package includes lethal equipment such as Bradleys, M113 armored personnel carriers, M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers, M119 105 mm howitzers, RIM-7 anti-aircraft missiles and Zuni anti-aircraft missiles, DPR's focus is on the M982 Excali. As a measure of accuracy and lethality.
It is worth noting that artillery is an important factor in the war in Ukraine and is the most consistent form of attack by both belligerents.
At one point in the ongoing conflict, Russian forces were using up to 20,000 artillery pieces a day in Donbass. In contrast, the Ukrainians often defended their positions and fired about 6,000 rounds per day against the Russians.
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The delivery of the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and the M-777 155 mm howitzer from US military stockpiles has greatly helped Ukraine to change the course of the conflict.
The M-777 155 mm Howitzer and other 155 mm artillery guns can fire the M982 Excalibur round. Apart from the US, the UK and other European countries have also supplied their own howitzers to Kyiv.
In the case of the M982 Excalibur, development of the weapon was a joint effort between BAE Systems and Raytheon. BAE Systems makes the body, base and payload, and Raytheon supplies the control system.
Excalibur's first test firing took place in 2003 from the M777 Lightweight Field Howitzer. The Excalibur is a GPS-enabled artillery that can engage targets within 250-500 feet. It is typically used for close support fire missions because friendly forces are present or there is a high risk of collateral damage to civilians or civilian infrastructure.
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After launch, the wings expand, allowing it to change course and land on a specific target. Naturally, the firepower of the Ukrainian military can be significantly increased with the M982 Excalibur, and it also enables them to launch precision strikes against key Russian targets.
Using an integrated, jam-proof GPS receiver, the Excalibur projectile updates the inertial navigation system, providing precise in-flight guidance and accuracy to less than two meters.
With its three ignition options – point detonation, point detonation delay and burst height – the Excalibur projectile can be deployed in any climate or terrain. The US Army claims the Excalibur can engage targets with first-round effect-on-target, reduce collateral damage and reduce the number of rounds required to engage targets.
Now that Ukrainian forces have pushed back and are closing in on Russian and DPR forces after recapturing some territory and launching a counteroffensive last month, the likelihood of high-value Russian targets being hit by Excalibur is much higher.
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This may have been the motivation of the DPR militia to destroy the shells in the warehouse before deploying them against the invading forces.
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WASHINGTON - The Pentagon said Tuesday it is helping Ukraine repel Russia's offensive forces with Excalibur satellite-guided artillery rounds and four more high-mobility artillery missile systems.
The $625 million in weapons and equipment, delivered from US military stocks under the president's withdrawal authority, comes amid battlefield victories for Ukrainian forces. The US Department of Defense also contracts with industry for supplies.
"The military units in this package are designed to meet Ukraine's immediate needs," Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, said at a Pentagon news conference. "This package will give the Ukrainian armed forces the additional capacity and ammunition they need to maintain momentum east and south, including additional artillery and precision fire."
Ukrainian forces that recently recaptured Lyman have "achieved significant operational success," Cooper said, adding that Ukrainian forces have made advances in Kharkiv and southern Kherson regions.
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"The Ukrainian counteroffensive and Kherson have made significant progress over the past 24 hours, and Ukrainian forces continue to push forward and liberate villages," Cooper said.
The latest announcement includes Lockheed Martin-made HIMARS and associated munitions, which Ukraine has used to successfully target Russian supply and command nodes, as well as 200 MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, Claymore anti-personnel mines and 155mm and 105mm.
With the new aid, the United States has given more than $17.5 billion to Ukraine since the start of the Biden administration.
The latest drawdown includes 75,000 more 155 mm rounds, 1,000 more remote anti-tank mine projectiles that deliver anti-armor mines and another 500 satellite-guided M982 Excalibur rounds, Cooper said.
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"Yes, when I refer to '500 precision-guided 155 mm artillery rounds,' I was referring to Excalibur rounds," Cooper said.
Pentagon officials had avoided publicly acknowledging that they launched the Excalibur round, developed by Sweden's Raytheon Missiles and Defense and BAE Systems Bofor. Bloomberg first reported that the Pentagon included a plan to pay for Excaliburs sent to Ukraine in a public budget document.
The US is also deploying MRAPs for Ukraine's ability to recapture land, and especially in the coming winter months. The US military developed the MRAP light tactical vehicle to protect against roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Weather is a huge factor in any war, and what we can expect here is that as the climate changes, it will become more challenging to maneuver," Cooper said.
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Joe Gould is Defense News' senior Pentagon reporter, covering the intersection of national security policy, politics and the defense industry. He has previously worked as a congressional journalist.
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