U.S. Excalibur Increment IB M982AI artillery projectiles for Netherlands Army.

The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the Netherlands of one hundred ninety-nine (199) Excalibur Increment IB M982Al artillery tactical projectiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $40.55 million.

The Excalibur (XM982, M982 and M982A1) 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. (Picture source U.S. DoD)

The Government of the Netherlands has requested to buy one hundred ninety-nine (199) Excalibur Increment IB M982Al artillery projectiles. Also included with this request is U.S. Government technical assistance, training, associated support equipment, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $40.55 million.

The Netherlands will integrate these munitions with conventional artillery units equipped with the PzH 2000NL self-propelled howitzer (SPH) to provide precision fires capability in order to reduce collateral damage and increase the effectiveness in various areas of operation. The Netherlands will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.

The M982 Excalibur (previously XM982) is a 155 mm extended range guided artillery shell developed during a collaborative effort between the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC).