YUMA PROVING GROUND, Arizona — The U.S. Army's Precision Attack Cannon Munitions Product Office, part of Project Manager Combat Ammunition Systems (PM CAS), successfully conducted the first guided test vehicle (GTV) live fire of the XM1180 Cannon-Delivered Area Effects Munition (C-DAEM) Armor Projectile in February at Yuma Proving Ground. Designed to target and neutralize hard-to-locate and mobile targets in contested areas this munition significantly enhances 155mm artillery capabilities.
Historically, the Army has sought to enhance its 155mm artillery munitions to bolster the capabilities of the Joint Warfighter. The introduction of Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition (DPICM) grenade carriers in the 1970s marked an early effort to increase the impact on enemy formations through fragmentation and penetration. However, concerns over the high rate of unexploded ordnance (UXO) led the Office of the Secretary of Defense to advocate for safer alternatives, culminating in the adoption of the Excalibur projectile in 2007. With its GPS-guided precision achieving almost precision accuracy, Excalibur significantly extended engagement ranges and minimized collateral damage.
In addition to enhancing accuracy with the Excalibur round, the U.S. Army sought to address the capabilities left vacant by the DPICM for defeating clusters and armored vehicles. In 2018, the Army selected a two-round solution: the XM1208 for targeting light vehicles and personnel, and the XM1180 for engaging heavily armored vehicles.
According to Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, the Joint Program Executive Officer for Armaments and Ammunition, the XM1180 C-DAEM Armor Projectile’s primary objectives include delivering enhanced lethality against a broad range of uncertain targets, extending the range and effectiveness against counter-artillery fire, and providing a reliable solution that can operate in GPS-contested environments while mitigating the risk of harm from UXOs.
"Our Army is always innovating to provide assured precision munition capabilities that are safe, reliable, and lethal on the modern battlefield," he said. "The development of the XM1180 has incorporated many technologies used in the Excalibur, but with modifications to effectively counter armored vehicles. This munition will provide the joint warfighter an all-weather long-range precision capability against armored and mechanized targets."
Lt. Col. Rafael R. Acevedo, the head of the product office overseeing the C-DAEM Armor test, emphasized the ongoing evolution of artillery munitions. "The Precision Attack Cannon Munitions Product Office has been instrumental in maintaining artillery's status as the ‘King of Battle,’” he said. “From DPICMs to Excalibur we are one step closer to delivering a precision 155mm projectile that can navigate in GPS-contested environments to the warfighter."
After the test, the team analyzed telemetry data to assess the projectile’s performance, confirming it met all primary objectives, including target identification and guidance handover to the seeker. This successful live fire advanced the XM1180 C-DAEM Armor to Technology Readiness Level 6 ahead of schedule, setting the stage for its progress to Milestone B in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025.
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