WATCH: Raytheon’s Excalibur S Munition Hits Moving Target

Moving enemy targets are now more vulnerable to U.S. strikes thanks to the development of a laser-guided artillery round that makes in-flight adjustments.

“The laser-guided Raytheon-developed weapon is an upgrade or adaptation to the well-known, GPS-guided Excalibur 155mm round first fired in Iraq more than 10 years ago,” according to Fox News.

The report continued:

Using GPS and Inertial measurement precision guidance technology, Excalibur can pinpoint and eliminate targets from 30km (18.6 miles) — within just one-meter of accuracy. The combat debut of Excalibur in Iraq ushered in what could be called a land-war transformation, marking the advent of a new kind of precision land attack.

On the move, the extraordinary weapon has the ability to switch from GPS to laser guidance to pinpoint its target. Additionally, its electronics and sensors are able to tolerate the shock of being fired out of a gun, according to NewAtlas.com.

In a press release Wednesday, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems Vice President Sam Deneke said the munition will prove beneficial to the U.S. military.

“Using artillery to engage moving targets gives soldiers more flexibility,” he said, adding that “artillery is typically used to hit stationary objects, but Excalibur S expands the capability of artillery on the battlefield.”

On Twitter Wednesday, Defense News shared a photo of the munition as it dove toward its target at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona:

“Excalibur is a true precision weapon, impacting at a radial miss distance of less than two meters from the target. Widely used by U.S. and international artillery forces, Excalibur has been fired more than 1,400 times in combat,” the press release stated.

In a 2019 interview, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Joseph Martin said advanced weapons would increase the capability of the military’s cannons, artillery, and rocket forces.

“We’re going to change the dynamics necessary to compete in the future on the multi-domain battlefield,” he concluded.