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Raytheon, US Army successfully test fired Excalibur Ib projectile from M109A2/A3 howitzer 0705152

Defense and Security equipment - Raytheon Excalibur

Raytheon, US Army successfully test fired Excalibur Ib projectile from M109A2/A3 howitzer

The U.S. Army and Raytheon Company successfully fired two Excalibur Ib projectiles from a M109A2/A3 howitzer during recent tests. Using the M185 cannon and M119A2 propelling charge with Excalibur for the first time, both rounds guided precisely to their targets more than 20 kilometers away, announced yesterday the US-based company Raytheon.

Raytheon's Excalibur Ib precision-guided projectile is reduced cost, mass-production variant of the Excalibur Ia

The M109A2/A3 is an early variant of the M109-series howitzer operated by armed forces around the world. Based on the test results, those forces are now able to use the extended range precision capability provided by Excalibur Ib.

"With these firings, we have expanded the potential Excalibur Ib user community and proved to those countries they can add precision fires to their arsenals," said Mark Hokeness, Raytheon's Excalibur program director. "Excalibur provides its users with accurate, first-round effects capability in any environment and supports forces across the full spectrum of operations."

Excalibur is a precision-guided, extended-range projectile that uses GPS guidance to provide accurate, first-round effects capability in any environment. By using Excalibur's level of precision, there is a major reduction in the time, cost and logistical burden associated with using other artillery munitions. Excalibur has been fielded by the U.S. Army, Marines and several international military forces.