The US Army is procuring M1156 Precision Guidance Kits (PGKs) to enhance the effectiveness of its existing 155mm artillery ammunition.
The service awarded Northrop Grumman a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract valued at nearly $863 million to manufacture, inspect, test, package, and deliver M1156 kits and their variants.
According to the notice, work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of September 3, 2031.
Transforming Conventional Fires
The M1156 PGK is a GPS-guided fuze that can be fitted to 155mm artillery projectiles, including the army’s M795 and M549A1 high-explosive projectiles.
The kit replaces the conventional fuze and uses GPS-based guidance to correct the projectile’s ballistic trajectory, reducing targeting errors and improving accuracy.
Rather than requiring a purpose-built precision artillery round, the PGK adds precision-guidance capability to conventional ammunition already in the army’s inventory.
Northrop Grumman lists an objective accuracy of less than 30 meters (98 feet) Circular Error Probability (CEP) and reports that the PGK family has demonstrated a 98 percent point reliability rate.
PGK-equipped rounds are compatible with several army artillery systems, including the M109A6/A7 Paladin and M777A2 howitzers.
