New Delhi: For the first time since buying the American firm Raytheon-made Excalibur precision guided munitions, India’s army today carried out its test-firing with the US-origin M777 Ultra Light Howitzers at the Pokhran field firing range in the Rajasthan desert.

Promptly, the US Embassy in the Indian capital here tweeted the successful test-firing and the new capability that Indian Army acquires by integrating the ammunition with the BAE Systems-produced M777 howitzer.

India had in 2016 bought the 145 M777 howitzers at a cost of for deploying along the Line of Actual Control with China. To add to the M777 gun’s fire power, India also bought the Excalibur munitions in Oct. 2018 under a fast track procurement mode.

During the tests today, the Excalibur was tested for its full range of 50 km under two modes of firing – High Explosive and Precision Guidance Kit, according to Indian Army officials at the headquarters here.

Unlike “near precision” guidance systems, the Excalibur weapon provides accurate first-round effects at all ranges in all weather conditions. This weapon system also extends the reach of .39-calibre artillery to 40 km and .52-calibre artillery to more than 50 km.

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