Kitted rounds
© Nexter
Beside completely fitted guided rounds we find kits that allow to dramatically increasing standard artillery grenades accuracy, although usually this remains lesser than that obtained
M Nexter’s Spacido is a low cost solution
© P. Valpolini
for reducing the range dispersion of a standard artillery round.
M ATK’s M115A1 Enhanced Portable Inductive
© P. Valpolini
Artillery Fuse-Setter (EPIAFS) is used to programme both the Excalibur and the PGK, providing to the guidance system target data as well as setting the fuse mode.
M BAE Systems has under development
the Silver Bullet guidance kit which should give a CEP of under 10 metres to conventional rounds.
EDR – September / October 2016
with guided ammunition. In Europe Nexter developed, in cooperation with Junghans T2M, the Spacido, not really a guidance kit but a system that allows to reduce range dispersion. The Spacido contains the fuse and is screwed in place of the original fuse; a radar installed on the gun gives the exact muzzle speed and established the time of flight when the three discs contained in the Spacido should open, in order to increase drag and allow the round to fall as close as possible to the target. Medium range qualification trials have been concluded. Spacido qualification should be completed by late 2016; the delay being due to the scarce availability in Europe of firing ranges capable to host artillery tests with ranges in excess of 31km. Orbital-ATK’s M1156 PGK (Precision Guidance Kit) is another screw-on system, but this time we talk about a real guidance system as it contains a GPS (SAASM) antenna at the front, followed by the four small fixed cant canard wings and by the height of burst sensor of the proximity fuse. Two opposite wings provide counter-rotation, used to produce electrical power and to initiate the inside battery, the other two wings providing lift. Once the GPS receiver acquires the signal the CPU starts comparing the actual trajectory with the reference ballistic trajectory. The ensuing signal orients the lift wings in order to bring the round within the 50 metres CEP required. Programming is made via the EPIAFS, the system used also to programme the Excalibur round. The latest version of the PGK is designed to work also with insensitive munitions. The PGK saw action in Afghanistan both with the US Army and the USMC. BAE Systems Rokar, the Israeli arm of BAE, is in the final development phase of its Silver Bullet, over 200 shots having been carried out, including demonstrations in South Korea and Israel. Another GPS based system with canard wings, navigation is activated after eight seconds from leaving the gun barrel. Roll stabilised, it is designed to minimise the drag in order to increase range, declared CEP being 20 meters; however most of the shots led to a miss distance of less than 10 metres.
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