U.S. Approves Potential $47.1 Million Sale of M982A1 Excalibur Precision Artillery Rounds to India

In a move aimed at deepening defense cooperation, the U.S. State Department has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to India involving M982A1 Excalibur precision-guided artillery projectiles and related equipment. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has formally notified the U.S. Congress of the proposed sale, which carries an estimated value of $47.1 million.

According to the DSCA notification, the procurement will enhance India’s ability to counter current and future threats by equipping its brigades with advanced precision strike capability. The Excalibur round—known for its GPS-guided accuracy and range exceeding 40 km—is expected to significantly improve first-strike effectiveness and reduce collateral damage.

The report further states that India is fully capable of integrating these systems into its existing artillery units, suggesting a smooth operational transition once deliveries begin.

Under the request, India seeks to procure up to 216 M982A1 Excalibur tactical projectiles, along with associated support items. The package includes:

• Portable Electronic Fire Control Systems (PEFCS) with Improved Platform Integration Kits (iPIK)
• Primers and propellant charges
• Technical assistance and technical data
• Logistics support, repair and return services
• Other non-MDE (non–Major Defense Equipment) ancillary items

The final cost may be lower, depending on finalized requirements and budget decisions during contract negotiations.

The U.S. emphasized that the proposed sale aligns with Washington’s foreign policy objectives by strengthening strategic ties with India—described as a major defense partner crucial to security, stability, and economic development in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia. Importantly, the sale is not expected to alter the regional military balance.

Program & Industrial Details​

• Primary Contractor: RTX Corporation, Arlington, Virginia
• Offsets: No offset agreements have been proposed at this stage, though any future offset terms will be negotiated directly between India and the contractor.
• Personnel Deployment: The sale does not require additional U.S. government or contractor representatives to be stationed in India.

The DSCA also clarified that the sale poses no adverse impact on U.S. military readiness.

 

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[Sivbal]

what if GPS is denied?

 

[Mc Addy]

Yes , this is good news , in mountains due to thin, rarefied atmosphere above 10,000 feet, shells go further then calculated due to less drag ,so precision strike with excalibur means ,on target from top and waste of ammo is then stopped as target is hit or made to run , plus real time benifits ,being manpower is not taxed into firing 100s of rounds for 1 target, secondly , towed or self propelled artillery can really shoot and scoot as shells will find target as per coordinates fed into them even if fired in a general direction so counte battery or drone ops becomes a negligible chance as in static position as seen in Ukraine,nothing survives ,once Drones target it. Try and get rocket assisted or propelled shells with longer reach as they do exist in this excalibur family of ammo. Artillery needs to be made precise,even mortars also need to be guided in mountains due to special atmosphere with very low drag .Russians have laser guided ammo and was used in Afghanistan in 1990s so we can think of that as helicopter like Rudra or prachanda LCH can use laser designator pods to light target from a 100k away and artillery can finish it with laser guided ammo .