Indian army inducts precision-guided Excalibur artillery made in US: Sources

Indian Army acquired the American precision-guided Excalibur artillery and indigenous Dhanush howitzer to boost its firepower, according to sources.

According to the sources in the army, the announcement was made in an Army Commander's Conference on Wednesday.

Made by the American company Raytheon, the precision-guided Excalibur, acquired by the army can annihilate targets at long ranges.

According to Zee news, the Excalibur artillery ammunition is capable of hitting targets within 50 kilometre range, with less than 2 metres error margin.

The pinpoint accuracy of the Excalibur artillery ammunition will be advantageous for the Indian soldiers stationed at the LOC fighting the Pakistani army. The 48 Kilogramme Excalibur shell explodes in the air or uses PBXN-9 (polymer-bonded explosive) warhead to break through reinforced structures or bunkers.

The Excaliber ammunition also uses GPS and inertial navigation.

In the Army Commander's Conference, issues like the creation of the new post of the Chief of Defence Staff, and enhanced grants for army personnel who are out of service due to injuries and disabilities before 10 years of service, were also discussed.

In the conference, the army commanders were also briefed about the induction of indigenous Dhanush howitzer and how it can be used by the Indian Army in combat situations.