Alliant Techsystems has announced that it has successfully demonstrated the capability to divert a 105mm artillery round using its existing 155mm Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) with minimal modification to the current design.

ATK recently conducted tests of the PGK on M927 rounds at Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, Ariz. The tests verified that the ATK-designed PGK provides more than twice the control authority necessary to meet 105mm performance requirements.

The tests were funded internally by the company to demonstrate the robust design capability of the PGK.

Already proven on the 155mm Howitzer, the 105mm PGK incorporates 99 percent of the existing 155mm PGK design. The only difference is a single mechanical part. This approach maximizes the Army's investment in this technology.

The high degree of commonality provides a low-risk approach that significantly reduces development and qualification costs, as well as the schedule to field a 105mm PGK.

This commonality allows for a near-term affordable transformation of existing 105mm artillery rounds into precision weapons that improve combat effectiveness while reducing the potential for collateral damage.

ATK competed for and won the system design and development (SDD) contract for the 155mm PGK in May 2007. The PGK is a low-cost, fuze-sized guidance kit intended to replace NATO standard height of burst, and point detonation fuzes.

The kit improves projectile accuracy by coupling global positioning system (GPS) technology with ATK's fixed canard guidance system. The GPS technology provides location and time during flight and ATK's unique guidance, navigation, and control approach determines trajectory and makes in-flight corrections to the target.