The US Army has awarded Raytheon Missiles and Defense an $84 million contract modification for the delivery of Excalibur 1B projectiles.
The award utilized Tranche Seven funding for more than 1,000 Excalibur 1B precision-guided rounds, which have also been sent to Ukraine as part of Pentagon’s efforts to boost the country’s defense against the Russian invasion.
“With the current usage and capabilities in theater, this action continues production of this capability,” the service said.
“The Army is focused on acquisition at speed in a responsible manner,” said Douglas Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. “That applies to the Army’s support to Ukraine as well as routine program activity – a winning strategy for our Soldiers, America and our allies.”
Often touted as the US Army’s most accurate artillery shell, Excalibur 1B’s GPS coordinate-seeking capability enables the quick defeat of targets with high precision.
According to the service, GPS technology coupled with an inertial measurement unit enables accurate, first-round fire-for-effect capability in an urban setting with accuracy better than 3 meters Circular Error Probable.
The round is fully qualified in multiple systems, including the M777, M109 series, M198, the Archer and PzH2000. It’s also currently compatible with the AS90, K9, DENEL G6, and CAESAR 6×6 systems.
The Excalibur 1B variant the service most recently ordered features Enhanced Shaped Trajectory, or EST, software that enables soldiers to eliminate targets in hard-to-reach locations by selecting the projectile’s terminal or final phase attack angle.
