WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) successfully fired nine rounds in U.S. Army lot acceptance tests, which means the Excalibur Ia-2 precision-guided projectile is ready for U.S. Army and Marine Corps use in Afghanistan.

Building on the proven technology of the Excalibur Ia-1, the Excalibur Ia-2 includes upgrades designed to meet the projected threat environment, while maintaining true precision and accuracy of better than a 6-meter circular error probable. Excalibur Ia-2 also extends the range of Excalibur Ia-1 from 24 to 37.5 kilometers, which is 50 percent farther than conventional artillery. Excalibur's first-round precision enables it to defeat fleeting and persistent targets.

"The precision Excalibur provides is essential to the missions our warfighters are conducting in urban and surrounding environments. It protects structures, the population and our warfighters," said Lt. Col. Mike Milner, U.S. Army Excalibur Product Manager. "The Excalibur Ia-2 rounds going into theater will give the warfighter the ability to accurately defeat targets before the target can run and hide."

The Excalibur precision-guided projectile is available regardless of time of day or environment, giving warfighters life-saving options. Excalibur complements air-delivered precision when close air support is unavailable or not the best option. With more than 500 rounds fired to date, Excalibur has made its mark on the battlefield.

"Raytheon developed and fielded the world's first extended-range GPS guided precision artillery rounds," said Michelle Lohmeier, vice president of Raytheon Land Combat Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems. "We continue to build upon our legacy as the world's experts in precision munitions as we deliver Excalibur Ia-2 to our warfighters."

About Excalibur

Excalibur is a 155-mm precision guided artillery round now with extended range. Successfully fielded in 2007, Excalibur Ia-1 has a 24 kilometers range from U.S. howitzers (Paladin and LW 155). Using GPS precision guidance technology, Excalibur has proven invaluable to widely dispersed units engaged in operations close to the population and in the surrounding fields, valleys and mountainous terrain of Afghanistan.

• Consistently lands within 6 meters of its target
• More than 500 rounds fired in theater to date
• Precision capability reduces collateral damage

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2010 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 89 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. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter at @raytheon.

Media Contact
Jaclyn Gutmann
781.879.2789
rmspr@raytheon.com

SOURCE Raytheon Company