The U.S. Department of Defense said Thursday that Raytheon Missiles & Defense was awarded a $66,2 million contract modification for Excalibur precision-guided 155mm artillery shell.
The Excalibur is a 155 mm, Global Positioning System (GPS)-guided, extended range artillery projectile in use as the Army’s next-generation cannon artillery precision munition.
Under the modification, Raytheon will produce new artillery shells in the Increment 1B configuration.
Work will be performed at various locations throughout the United States, including Arizona, California, Iowa, Ohio, Missouri and Massachusetts, as well as overseas in Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The Excalibur’s capabilities allow for first-round effects-on-target while simultaneously minimizing collateral damage and the number of rounds required to engage targets.
Relative to standard projectiles, its accuracy and lethality allow cannon artillery units to effectively engage more point targets with better effects using fewer projectiles in complex urban terrain.
The projectile is reliable when fired at all ranges up to its maximum range of 35 kilometers.