US Army buys more precision-guidance kits for 155mm artillery
US Army personnel tightening an M1156 PGK on a 155mm shell during an exercise in the Grafenwöhr Training Area, Germany. (Photo: US Army)
M1156 PGKs transform conventional 155mm high-explosive rounds into GPS-guided munitions.
Northrop Grumman is providing additional M1156 Precision Guidance Kits (PGKs) for artillery systems operated by the US Army, under a new $74.68 million contract modification announced by the DoD on 26 May.
Work will be performed in Plymouth, Minnesota, with an estimated completion date of 28 July 2027.
M1156 PGKs transform unguided 155mm high-explosive rounds (from artillery systems such as the M777 towed howitzer or the M109 tracked self-propelled gun) into GPS-guided munitions.
The PGK fits in the fuze well of the projectile. It performs in-flight course corrections that help to reduce dispersion of conventional artillery projectiles to 30m or less and enable more accurate artillery usage.
The PGK design features a fixed-canard guidance and control approach with a self-generated power supply and with gun-hardened electronics. The fuze performs all standard functions and also includes a 'fail safe' option in which a PGK-equipped artillery round will not detonate if it is not close enough to the target.
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