Orbital ATK [OA] Monday said it signed a $120 million Army contract to produce more Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) for 155mm artillery.
Once fielded, PGK will transform conventional 155mm artillery projectiles into a near precision weapon reliably reducing normal artillery dispersion of more than 200 meters to less than 30 meters.
The $120 million contract calls for the production, lot acceptance testing and delivery of the guidance fuzes for fielding to U.S. and select allied armies.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in early 2016 without a production break from the Low Rate Initial Production, which began in January.
“This contract signing marks another significant milestone for the PGK program,” said Dan Olson, vice president and general manager of Orbital ATK’s Armament Systems division of the Defense Systems Group. “Fielding PGK for use with existing artillery projectiles provides soldiers with a distinct battlefield advantage by greatly reducing the inherent dispersion associated with conventional artillery. As a proven and qualified technology, the next step is growing PGK into future precision applications for either existing or new direct and indirect fire weapons systems.”
PGK is a guidance fuze that fits within the fuze well of 155mm high-explosive artillery projectiles, performing in-flight course corrections to greatly reduce artillery dispersion.
Image: Orbital ATK
The Orbital ATK design features a fixed-canard guidance and control approach with gun-hardened electronics and a self-generated power supply. PGK performs all standard fuze functions while also incorporating a fail-safe option, preventing a PGK-equipped artillery round from detonating if it does not get close enough to the target.
PGK provides a level of precision necessary to greatly reduce the risk of collateral damage and put artillery back into the fight.
Orbital ATK supplied PGK for use in Afghanistan for training and tactical operations via an urgent materiel release in March 2013 (Defense Daily, April 17, 2013).
In December 2014, PGK passed First Article Acceptance Testing.