U.S. Army Awards Raytheon $173 Million Contract for Excalibur

Someoneforyou

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UNITED STATES - 21 APRIL 2011

TUCSON, Ariz., April 21 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) received a $173 million U.S. Army fiscal year 2010 contract for the production of Excalibur precision-guided projectile rounds for in-theater use. This contract marks the beginning of full rate production for Excalibur Ia-2.

Successfully fielded in 2007, Excalibur is a 155 mm precision-guided artillery round with extended range that is currently in use with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. Using GPS precision guidance technology, Excalibur provides first round fire-for-effect capability with accuracy well within 10 meters (32.8 feet) of its target. This accuracy protects warfighters in close proximity to the target and provides an unprecedented precision engagement capability.

Excalibur precision-guided projectiles give warfighters life-saving options when close air support is unavailable. With more than 300 rounds fired in theater, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps have increased their use of Excalibur in the past year.

"Warfighters need Excalibur because it provides a level of precision they simply cannot get with other artillery rounds," said Col. Michael Hartig, U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence. "Excalibur's GPS precision makes it ideal in all terrain types, including urban settings and rugged terrain where our soldiers and Marines are close to the target."

In August 2010, the U.S. Army awarded Raytheon a contract to complete the design of the Excalibur Ib precision-guided projectile. Excalibur Ib provides the lowest- risk approach to reducing the projectile's cost by an estimated 50 percent, while leveraging the demonstrated performance of Excalibur Ia.

"From early fielding of Excalibur Ia-1, it has been our commitment to continually develop this capability so that it provides a greater, more affordable benefit to the warfighter," said Michelle Lohmeier, vice president of Raytheon's Land Combat product line. "As we enter full rate production with Excalibur Ia and qualify our Excalibur Ib, we continue to evolve the design, while staying true to Excalibur's mission to limit collateral damage in theater."


Source: Raytheon Company





 

Someoneforyou

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U.S. Army Awards Raytheon $36 Million to Complete Excalibur Ib Development
UNITED STATES - 29 JUNE 2011

TUCSON, Ariz., June 29, 2011 -- The U.S. Army awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a $36 million contract for the final phase of the Excalibur Ib development program. This phase concludes with warfighter tests and will qualify Excalibur Ib for fielding.

The Excalibur Ib is a long-range, precision-guided artillery projectile based on Raytheon's combat-proven Excalibur Ia. Excalibur Ib features a non-spinning fixed base, uses fewer parts and requires simpler manufacturing than Excalibur Ia resulting in increased reliability and a significantly reduced cost.

"Raytheon has conducted more than 50 live-fire tests since August 2010, and the results from these tests have enabled our talented engineers to further refine the Excalibur Ib design," said Michelle Lohmeier, vice president of Raytheon's Land Combat product line. "By consistently demonstrating an unprecedented precision capability, we have high confidence in our Excalibur Ib design as the objective solution."

Excalibur Ib was designed to grow with the needs of the warfighter and incorporates a reprogramming port that makes it possible for the warfighter to modify the performance of the round in response to changing threats and evolving tactics.

Excalibur is the world's only deployed extended-range GPS-guided artillery round, and has been fired more than 300 times in theater since its early fielding in 2007. Both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps have increased their use of this life-saving weapon over the past year.



Source: Raytheon Company
 

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