The US Army has awarded a contract to Raytheon to start modification to produce Excalibur Increment lb precision-guided extended-range projectiles for Jordan, in a $219.8m contract.
In 2013, US Army Excalibur programme manager Lieutenant Colonel Josh Walsh said the Excalibur Increment Ib round was designed to boost reliability and reduce unit costs, simultaneously maintaining enhanced precision for troops.
Excalibur Ib is a 155mm precision-guided, extended-range projectile that uses GPS precision guidance to offer troops an accurate, first-round, fire-for-effect capability in any environment.
The estimated completion date of the Excalibur lb projectiles for modification for Jordan is scheduled to be completed by 29 April, 2024.
In September 2022, Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Lockheed Martin secured a contract with the US Army to manufacture Javelin Missiles.
Apart from supplying the missiles to the US Army, the agreement also required Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Lockheed Martin to provide production support for international customers, including Jordan.
Jordan have familiar ties with Raytheon, purchasing tube-launched, optically tracked, wireless-guided (TOW) missiles in 2016. While also receiving Javelin Missiles from a Raytheon and Lockheed Martin joint venture in 2009.
GlobalData’s “Jordan Defense Market 2022-2027” report claims that the Jordanian defence industry is expected to grow steadily over 2022–27.
The primary driving force behind this growth can be the surge in counter-terrorist operations in neighbouring countries to control the spread of Islamic State (IS) and its extremist ideology.
