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Orbital ATK's artillery guidance kit passes milestone test

Orbital ATK's kit to provide 155mm artillery shells with precision guidance has passed its first production Lot Acceptance Test.

By Richard Tomkins
A precision guidance kit is placed into the fuze well of a 155mm artillery shell. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army
A precision guidance kit is placed into the fuze well of a 155mm artillery shell. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army

DULLES, Va., June 29 (UPI) -- Orbital ATK's U.S. Army precision guidance kit for 155mm ammunition has successfully completed its first production Lot Acceptance Test, the company says.

In the milestone test, the precision guidance kit demonstrated a median accuracy of less than 33 yards and also passed all safety and reliability requirements.

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"Extensive, rigorous testing continues to prove the maturity of PGK technology in terms of reliability, performance and safety," said Dan Olson, vice president and general manager for Orbital ATK's Armament Systems division of the Defense Systems Group.

Orbital ATK's PGK is a guidance fuze that fits within the fuze well of 155mm high-explosive artillery projectiles. It performs in-flight course corrections to increase accuracy. It features a fixed-canard guidance approach with gun-hardened electronics and a self-generated power supply. A key feature is a "fail safe" option, that prevents the shell from detonating if it does not get close enough to the target

Two additional Lot Acceptance Tests will confirm production consistency while also populating a reliability database that provides information which leads to product improvements over the course of production.

"Our precision guidance expertise is making a difference across multiple platforms for our customers," said Mike Kahn, president, Orbital ATK Defense Systems Group. "Accuracy translates to effectiveness, an important factor in support of the warfighter."

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