WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Raytheon's new Excalibur N5 projectile was fired from a 5-inch naval gun during a flight test at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.
The Excalibur N5 is a 5-inch variant of Raytheon's Excalibur extended range precision projectile. The projectile is currently in use by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps, in addition to other armed forces. The company expects the N5 variant will triple the effective range of naval gun munitions currently in use, while maintaining the same accuracy.
The new sea-based projectile is designed to be used for naval surface fire support, anti-surface warfare, and engaging fast attack craft.
The Excalibur is a co-developed project between Raytheon and BAE Systems. Future plans for the program also include the Excalibur S, which incorporates a digital semi-active laser seeker to further improve accuracy and reduce the risk of GPS jamming.
