Future Army Artillery Advances a New Generation of Precision Targeting Beyond GPS

Video Above: Army Tests Robots Armed with Anti-Tank Missiles

by Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization 

(Washington D.C.) The arrival of GPS-guided precision land artillery and rockets in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008 represented a quantum leap forward for weapons historically thought of as “area” systems designed to blanket a target region with suppressive fire to enable forces to maneuver. The advent of weapons such as Excalibur, a GPS-guided 155mm artillery shell able to hit targets at 30km within a one-meter CEP (Circular Error Probable) introduced paradigm changing warfare concepts for Commanders looking to pinpoint enemy targets without destroying civilians or the surrounding infrastructure of an attacked area.

Precision Targeting

This breakthrough, which began roughly 15 years ago, is now evolving to a point wherein senior Army weapons developers explain that yet another generation of capability with precision fire is beginning to emerge through the advent of new sensors, navigation systems and targeting technologies.

”The idea of precision used to be that, you know, GPS was considered precision. previously. Now, we can be extremely precise with targeting with sensors, both onboard and off board sensors. You can imagine the level of accuracy that we can achieve now with precision munitions. We’ve completely changed the whole definition of precision,” Lt. Gen. Thomas Todd, Chief Innovation Officer, Army Futures Command, told Warrior in an interview.

Video Above: Lieutenant General, Thomas Todd – Chief Innovation Officer of Army Futures Command sits down for an exclusive interview with Kris Osborn.