A recently released video on social media is the first confirmation that the Ukrainian military has begun using Excalibur shells, munitions with devastating accuracy.

Military analyst and independent journalist Chris Owen reminds that Canada announced the donation of Excalibur projectiles in April, and the American press wrote about the intentions of the Washington administration to supply such ammunition to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in July-August.

But the new footage appears to be the first visual evidence that such Swedish-made 155mm projectiles, which can be fired from a range of NATO artillery systems, are being used by Ukrainian forces.

Owen explains that the Excalibur projectiles are guided by GPS and the coordinates of the target are entered into the EPIAFS (Advanced Portable Inductive Artillery Installer) system used by the munition before it is fired.

Devastating accuracy of Excalibur ammunition

“[Obuzele] Excaliburs are extremely accurate, with a Circumferential Error Probable (CEP) of only 5 meters,” explains the military analyst, adding that during testing an error of only 1.6 meters was achieved.

Owen says this capability effectively turns 155mm howitzers into giant “sniper guns” that can engage individual targets tens of kilometers away.

He shows that theoretically, in the case of Excalibur shells, a probable circular error of only 5 meters means that 50% of the shells will hit targets within this range, the other 43.7% will fall within 10 meters, 6.1% only 15 meters and only 0.2% of projectiles will fall further from the marked target due to GSP.

But in reality, gunners using this ammunition need fewer Excalibur shells to achieve the desired effect. Raytheon, an American arms company that manufactures projectiles, states that “it may take 10 conventional munitions to achieve what a single Excalibur weapon can do.”

Owen then explains what all this data means specifically, on the battlefield, in the case of the T-72 tanks used by the Russian army. They are 6.95 meters long and 3.59 meters wide, which means that 93.7% of Excalibur projectiles fired at them will hit them directly or land at a maximum distance of 8 meters.

Russian tanks are a faithful victim of the new shells of the Ukrainians

“For our T-72, the game is over if a 155-mm projectile hits it from above. 22 kilograms of explosives, which lands at a speed of hundreds of meters per second and explodes above, can do a lot, including the upper armor of the tank and the crew inside,” states a military analyst.

But he says even missing a target can disable a tank and injure or kill its crew if a shell lands nearby, noting that tests conducted by the U.S. Army in the 1980s showed that 155mm rounds could cause serious damage tanks and if they explode within 30 meters of them.

Owen then explains that the accuracy of the Excalibur munitions allows Ukrainian forces to go from targeting the approximate area where Russian tanks are located to directly bombing them from a distance. “Or they can go from targeting buildings to targeting individual cameras within those buildings,” he adds.

But this high level of precision also opens up other useful possibilities. This allows the Ukrainian artillery to provide close support to the infantry at a distance of up to 75-150 meters, which would normally be impossible without serious danger to them.

New ammunition opens up other opportunities for the Ukrainian military

Another possible use is related to the precise targeting of targets in civilian areas, given that the Russians often locate their operational bases in residential areas.

In addition, Excalibur ammunition has a longer firing range than conventional artillery shells, capable of hitting targets at a distance of 40-70 kilometers, depending on the weapon used to fire them.

For example, the M777 howitzers, which are supplied to the Ukrainians by the USA and other countries, can hit targets at a distance of up to 40 kilometers. Howitzers “Caesar” and “Crab”, which Ukraine received from France and Poland, respectively, can hit targets at a distance of up to 50 kilometers.

Owen points out that the Ukrainian military has an incomparably greater number of 155 mm artillery systems than the HIMARS and M270 multiple rocket launchers received from the United States and Great Britain.

This means that Ukrainian gunners have much more opportunities to fire Excalibur ammunition in conditions where the front line stretches for 2,400 kilometers.

Also, while HIMARS missiles can theoretically be intercepted, artillery shells are much more difficult targets and the Russian military does not appear to have such capabilities.

“In short, p [muniția ]With Excalibur confirmed in-game, Russian forces in Ukraine can expect a lot more “unexpected incidents” and “surprise arrivals,” concludes Chris Owen.

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