Weapons and Kit

Excalibur: US Army's most accurate artillery shell supporting Ukraine's fight

Watch: US providing Ukraine with one of the world's most advanced artillery shells.

One of the world's most advanced artillery shells is being provided by the US to Ukraine.

Said to be the US Army's most accurate artillery shell, the GPS-guided M982 Excalibur is an advanced precision-guided 155mm artillery shell.

According to defence contractor BAE Systems, "regardless of the distance from the gun and the target, the round has the same accuracy".

With normal artillery, the Excalibur can land within six feet of a target 25 miles away but, in tests, the US scored a direct hit on a truck at more than 40 miles.

Its accuracy made it an essential part of Ukraine's recent counter-offensives and has been credited with hugely increasing the country's firepower.

One shell can hit a target that may be missed by a volley of conventional shells – making it ideal for surgical strikes on significant Russian targets.

The US is sending more than 500 Excalibur shells to Ukraine in its latest military package – the Pentagon has previously not acknowledged the sending of the artillery rounds.

It is thought that the US has, however, sent around 3,000 Excalibur rounds since the conflict started in February last year.