Excalibur N5 is the 5-inch/127 mm naval branch of the Raytheon and BAE Systems Bofors Excalibur precision-projectile family. It adapts the land-service Excalibur Ib baseline for Navy five-inch guns, with Raytheon reporting guided tests from a naval gun, direct hits beyond 20 nautical miles in 2015, later short-, mid-, and long-range demonstrations, and a range claim of more than twice conventional 5-inch munitions.
Raytheon presents N5 as the naval 5-inch member of the broader Excalibur precision-projectile family, adapted from the Excalibur Ib baseline rather than a combat-fielded 155 mm artillery round.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
 | 155 mm land-service Excalibur family baseline | The cataloged M982 page covers the 155 mm Excalibur projectile family; Raytheon says N5 uses the Excalibur Ib guidance/navigation unit, 70 percent of Ib parts and components, and 99 percent of Ib software. Sources: Raytheon Excalibur Projectile, Raytheon Excalibur Ib Production Contract |
N5 is documented as a 5-inch naval projectile for Navy five-inch guns, with reporting and imagery tying the role to the Mk 45 family carried by U.S. destroyers and cruisers.
| Firing weapon | Weapon type | Firing evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | 5-inch/127 mm naval gun | Raytheon's N5 test release says the projectile is designed for Navy five-inch guns, and Sea Power reported the 2019 Navy/Raytheon test was conducted with an eye toward Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Mk 45 guns. Sources: Raytheon Excalibur N5 Test, Sea Power Excalibur N5 Test, U.S. Navy MK 45 Fact File |
Excalibur N5 is best documented as a development and test-fired naval projectile, so this entry keeps it separate from combat-fielded 155 mm M982 Excalibur rounds. The useful link for readers is compatibility: Raytheon describes N5 as a five-inch naval round, while Sea Power reported the 2019 Navy/Raytheon test path in relation to Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Mk 45 guns.
Excalibur Ib guidance/navigation unit with 70 percent parts/component reuse and 99 percent software reuse.
Guided and range-demonstration test firings at Yuma Proving Ground rather than sourced combat use.
Longer-range precision fires from five-inch guns for naval surface fire support, anti-surface warfare, and counter-fast-attack-craft missions.
Raytheon said it had successfully fired the Excalibur N5 5-inch/127 mm naval projectile during a recent live guided flight test at Yuma Proving Ground.
Sources: Raytheon Sea-Based Excalibur N5
Raytheon described N5 as using the Excalibur Ib guidance/navigation unit, 70 percent of Ib parts and components, and 99 percent of Ib software.
Sources: Raytheon Excalibur Ib Production Contract
Raytheon announced that the U.S. Navy and Raytheon had completed additional Excalibur N5 test firings demonstrating short-, mid-, and long-range capabilities.
Sources: Raytheon Excalibur N5 Test
