Indian Army Begins Induction Of M-777 Ultra-Light Howitzers With Precision Excalibur Ammunition

Indian army test fired for the first time the Excalibur guided long-range artillery ammunition from its newly inducted M-777 ultra-light howitzers.

This new artillery gun was tested in the Pokhran firing range on Monday (9 December) in the presence of senior Indian Army officers, reports Times Of India.

These ultra light howitzers from the United States are being tested for its long-distance firing capacity under the supervision of foreign experts.

In October, the Indian Army had inducted the US Excalibur artillery ammunition in its inventory under the emergency powers for procurement of weapon systems and ammunition to keep the army war-ready in post-Pulwama attack like situations. The ammunition is being acquired for units deployed along the Line of Control (LoC), which sees regular artillery shelling from the Pakistani side.

The M777 howitzers is light enough to be moved to any conflict zone by the newly acquired H-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters and adds strategic value to warfare in mountainous terrains in the high altitude areas in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.

The M-777 ultra-light howitzers which will fire the Excalibur ammunition, can hit targets within 50 km range, with less than 2 metres error margin. The Excalibur also has capability to destroy reinforced structures or bunkers.