| A British Army AS90 155mm self-propelled howitzer is due to start firing trials with Raytheon XM982 Excalibur GPS-guided projectiles at the US Army's Yuma proving ground in October. It is understood that BAE Systems, as the original equipment manufacturer, has already completed preliminary AS90 flick rammer-compatibility and strength-of-design tests using representative Excalibur rounds
[first posted to http://idr.janes.com - 02 October 2008]
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(Still amazes me how many news items still list the "X" in the Excalibur's M982 designation.
It's no longer an expiremental or prototype system: it is an in-production-status munition, so it's OK to leave the "X" bit off...)
Well, our British allies are onboard.
Wonder who's next?
(Curious to see how far the 52-cal tube of a PzH2000 can toss this puppy...)
Any thoughts, ArtyEngineer?
(specifically, do you know if the Excalibur is rated/cleared for the higher chamber pressures and launch stresses that 52-cal tubes can generate?) |