The Raytheon Company has successfully completed gun firing tests of its XM1156 precision guidance kit (PGK) at the New Mexico Tech energetic material research and testing center in Socorro, New Mexico. These open-loop tests, fired from a M198 howitzer, met all test objectives.

Article Tools

• 

PGK is a U.S. Army program aimed at demonstrating the ability to improve the accuracy of existing ballistic and cargo 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds by adding a low-cost, GPS-guided fuse kit. The Raytheon PGK design is a simple airbrake design and is effective for both 105 mm and 155 mm projectiles.

"The team is now ready for closed-loop firings at tactically significant ranges, scheduled for mid-May," said Stephen Bennett, Raytheon PGK program manager.

Raytheon's Missile Systems business in Tucson, Ariz., will serve as prime systems integrator, airframe designer and guidance and control authority, using L3 KDI Precision Products Inc., to produce the fuse kit at its automated fuse factory in Cincinnati, Ohio.