Precision Guidance Kits being integrated into CAF M777C1 Howitzers

Army News

Shilo, Manitoba – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Starting this week, the 1st Regiment of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery will be integrating a new piece of equipment, known as the Precision Guidance Kit, at Canadian Forces Base Shilo, Manitoba.

The integration of the Precision Guidance Kit, which can be used in place of the existing fuse on a conventional shell, transforms artillery rounds into Global Positioning System-guided munitions, allowing trajectory adjustments to be made in-flight, thereby enabling targets to be hit with greater precision.

The Precision Guidance Kit, a kit attached to a round being fired from a Howitzer, during trials at Canadian Forces Base Shilo training ground by the 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery on November 1, 2016.
Photo by MCpl Gerald Cormier, Third Canadian Division Public Affairs

The Precision Guidance Kit will bring greater accuracy to a normally unguided projectile, and in turn reduce ammunition requirements and the risk of collateral damage. This advanced system is yet another example of the Canadian Army’s commitment to ensuring its soldiers are well-equipped with first-class capabilities.

“Developing capabilities like the Precision Guidance Kit will improve the Canadian Army’s ability to more effectively engage a target through the use of artillery. A guided projectile system will reduce the risk of collateral damage, neutralize a small target with fewer rounds, engage targets closer to friendly troops, and increase safety, all while being more cost-efficient.”– Colonel Nicolas Pilon, Director Land Requirements, Canadian Army

The Precision Guidance Kit is a fuse that affixes to the tip of a conventional high explosive artillery projectile in the same manner as any in-service artillery fuse and controls detonation of the round.
The Precision Guidance Kit uses conventional rounds and the in-service M777C1 howitzer with its advanced digital Fire Control System.

The Precision Guidance Kit initiative was started in Fiscal Year 2010-2011 and is expected to close-out in 2018. The approximate cost is forecast at $28 million. This covers the amount to integrate the Precision Guidance Kit technology to work with the Canadian M777C1 and also covers the cost of purchasing M795 projectiles and Precision Guidance Kit fuses.

The Precision Guidance Kit is manufactured by Orbital ATK in the United States. There are no Canadian companies that currently manufacture this capability.