The US Army has awarded Raytheon Missiles & Defense an $84-million contract to replenish its stockpile of Excalibur 155-millimeter rounds.
The deal is part of “Tranche Seven” funding for more than 1,000 Excalibur 1B precision-guided projectiles, which have also been sent to Ukraine.
According to the service, the timely development and delivery of “overmatch capability” would enable it to further modernize the force and better deter adversaries.
“The Army is focused on acquisition at speed in a responsible manner,” US Army acquisition official Douglas Bush said.
“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.”
The Excalibur in Ukraine
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, the US has sent more than $19.7 billion in weapons and equipment to support Ukrainian counter-offensives.
Raytheon’s Excalibur precision-guided projectiles were among the weapons that reportedly inflicted heavy damage on Moscow’s forces.
According to the company, the “revolutionary, extended-range” munition provides improved fire support and increases the lethality of dismounted units.
It also minimizes collateral damage and reduces the logistical burden for artillery forces.
The projectile’s 1B variant utilizes sophisticated software that enables troops to neutralize targets in hard-to-reach locations by selecting its final phase attack angle.
Apart from the US and Ukraine, the Excalibur munition is in service with Sweden, Canada, Australia, Jordan, India, Spain, and the Netherlands.