Raytheon demos Excalibur round
Raytheon has fired new Excalibur N5 projectile while conducting a live guided flight test at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, the company announced on 30 September.
Excalibur N5, a naval variant of Excalibur precision projectile used by the US Marine Corps, the US Army and various international armies, measures 5-inch/127 mm.
It is anticipated that the new system might deliver the same pinpoint accuracy of the Excalibur Ib, which is in production today, while increasing the maximum effective range to more than thrice compared with that of the conventional naval gun munitions.
Excalibur N5 can be used to support several critical mission areas like Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW), Naval Surface Fire Support and countering Fast Attack Craft (FAC).
Duane Gooden, vice president, Land Warfare Systems product line, Raytheon, said: ‘Excalibur N5's range, precision and lethality will revolutionise naval gunfire and increase the offensive firepower of our navy's destroyers and cruisers. This demonstration showcases the N5's maturity as a proven low-risk solution, and is ready for the navy now.
‘With the significant amount of re-use from the Army's Excalibur programme, the N5 provides the navy with an affordable, direct path to employ a critical capability. We continue to build on Excalibur's unmatched reliability and performance by investing in a fire-and-forget, dual-mode seeker that will vastly improve the 5-inch gun's current ASuW and counter-FAC capability.’
More from Land Warfare
-
Leopard MBT: Alpha beast gets a reboot (updated 2025)
Leopard MBTs are German-made main battle tanks that have been in service since the Cold War and have undergone several upgrades to remain competitive in modern warfare. This article traces the history and development of the Leopard 1 and 2, its variants, its operational service and its future prospects.
-
World Defense Show 2026 to unite global and local innovation
Saudi Arabia’s showpiece event for the defence industry will return in 2026 as it attempts to foster global defence collaboration, promote opportunity within the Kingdom and demonstrate technological innovation from across the Middle East.
-
Canadian Army to progress with ACSV programme in 2025
The Armoured Combat Support Vehicle will also achieve several milestones in the coming years.
-
UK commits $2 billion to Ukraine for missiles as Europe speaks up
The contract builds on a previous contract with Thales which was signed in September 2024 for 650 missiles. Deliveries of these began in late 2024 and the new contract ensures continued supply.
-
Sweden orders $131 million worth of trucks for armed forces
The deal with Volvo and Scania includes 300 4×4 truck and 300 6×6 trucks, with both orders including options for a further 200 vehicles.