DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Orbital ATK, Inc. (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, announced today that the U.S. Army's Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) for 155mm artillery achieved another major program milestone, having successfully completed its first production Lot Acceptance Test, demonstrating a median accuracy of less than 10 meters and passing all safety and reliability requirements.
“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.
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.”
PGK is a guidance fuze that fits within the fuze well of 155mm high-explosive artillery projectiles and performs in-flight course corrections that greatly increases accuracy. Orbital ATK’s design features a fixed-canard guidance 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 the projectile from detonation if it does not get close enough to the target.
Orbital ATK has demonstrated that PGK commonality provides a scalable and affordable precision capability for multiple conventional platforms.
Today’s battlefield is extremely complex and continually evolving. Reducing the risk of civilian casualties and collateral damage to infrastructure is critical. These constraints can restrict the battlefield commander’s options and limit artillery use to engage critical targets. PGK provides commanders with additional options to use all the tools at his disposal to achieve victory.
Orbital ATK Defense Systems Group is an industry leader in providing innovative and affordable ammunition, precision and strike weapons, electronic warfare systems, and missile components across air-, sea-, and land-based systems.
About Orbital ATK
Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies. The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and merchant supplier. Its main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs more than 12,000 people in 20 states across the U.S. and in several international locations. For more information, visit www.orbitalatk.com.
