TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 20, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Army awarded
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a $12 million contract for the initial design
and maturation phase of the 155 mm, precision-guided Excalibur 1b
projectile.
Excalibur 1b is the next increment in the development of the
combat-proven Excalibur 1a munition. The new Excalibur design uses fewer
parts and is easier to manufacture than the 1a round. The result is a more
affordable projectile with enhanced reliability.
Capt. Victor Scharstein, assigned to the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry
Division, commanded a firing battery that employed Excalibur in Iraq.
According to Scharstein, the Excalibur round was "amazingly accurate," and
its fires produced a 92 percent success rate.
Excalibur 1a is an all-weather, precision munition that has repeatedly
demonstrated better than 10 meter (32 feet) accuracy in combat. This
accuracy enables U.S. warfighters to employ Excalibur within 70 meters (229
feet) of their own position, saving lives and limiting collateral damage.
"The Excalibur 1b combines the incredible success and reliability of
the Excalibur 1a with a lower unit production cost," said Steve Bennett,
Raytheon Missile Systems' Excalibur program director. "We are committed to
providing the U.S. Army with this precision projectile, because we know it
is a game- changer for soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan."
The contract award begins an 18-month design and maturation
demonstration phase. It will be followed by a "downselect" for the 18- to
30-month system qualification phase and three years of low rate initial
production.
Raytheon Company, with 2007 sales of $21.3 billion, is a technology
leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government
markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 86
years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems
integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and
command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a
broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham,
Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.
Contact:
Heather Uberuaga
520.665.5594
uberuaga@raytheon.com
SOURCE Raytheon Company
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Related links:
http://www.raytheon.com
CONTACT:
Heather Uberuaga of Raytheon Company,
+1-520-665-5594, uberuaga@raytheon.com
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