50.59 (+0.76) 
Date posted: 08/04/2009*
New inertial measurement unit gives Raytheon’s Excalibur Ia increased reliability
Raytheon Company fired nine Excalibur Ia-1 precision-guided projectiles from a Paladin gun system. The test validates the increased reliability of the projectile’s new Atlantic Inertial Systems inertial measurement unit (AIS IMU). Using the new IMU, Raytheon achieved a 100 percent success rate.
“Excalibur Ia-1 is an extraordinarily capable weapon,” said Steve Bennett, Raytheon’s Excalibur program director. “In an effort to provide ever-increasing performance and to meet changing operational requirements, we needed an IMU that met Excalibur’s stringent standards.”
Excalibur Ia-1 tests using the new AIS IMU began 10 months ago and have consistently demonstrated increased precision with an average impact distance of less than 2 meters (about 6 and a half feet) from the target. These tests clear the way for Raytheon to resume immediate production of Excalibur Ia-1.
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