FORT SILL, Okla. Feb. 11, 2016 -- Hitting a target dead-on from nearly 10 miles away is a Hail Mary shot with conventional artillery shells. But with the new Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) "smart" fuzes, three of six 155mm shells fired from M777 howitzers did just that during a Marine training exercise at Fort Sill's Quanah Range, Feb. 4.
Even seasoned artillerymen seemed impressed by the power of the 4-Hotel charges they set off to test the capabilities. However, the exercise was mostly about training the trainers, the noncommissioned officers who will show their units how to insert and program the GPS targeted fuses that have the capability of mid-course correction.
"In the most recent conflicts we've had, we've been extremely concerned about civilian casualties," said Master Gunnery Sgt. Norman Crowe of Fort Sill's Marine Artillery Detachment and director of the Enlisted Gunnery School. "With the accuracy of this round we'll still be able to shoot into populated areas and engage targets knowing the commander's got confidence the round's going to go at the target."
Compared to a typical 250 to 300 meter accuracy zone of conventional shells fired at long range, the PGK guided shells have an accuracy of 30 meters or better. Crowe said the PGK system is being used in combat in Afghanistan.
Thirty senior NCOs from Marine regiments in Okinawa, Japan; Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Camp Lejeune, N.C., and the 14th Marine Regiment out of Fort Worth, Texas, participated in the training.
Two seven-man teams each fired two conventional shells first, then three PGK shells. The first two conventional shells armed with the M782 Multi-option Fuze for Artillery (MOFA) came within 130 and 110 meters of their targets, and after taking the new data into account the next two landed 10 and 30 meters from the target.
"That's a testimony to how good that gun is," said Crowe.
The PGK "smart" rounds fell within 10 meters of their target, with three "steel on steel" direct hits.
"I've only done that seven or eight times in my life," said Crowe of conventional shells. "I've shot maybe 50,000 rounds." He said feedback to the gun crew made them feel great. "That's a bragging right," said the Oklahoma City native. "It's like a hole-in-one on a par four."
A shell fired with a 4-Hotel charge travels at 1,526 miles per hour, twice the speed of sound.
During training, when a mission was received, a cable attached to the computer transmitted data to the fuze setter, a black box placed over the jacketed fuze to program it. Just prior to insertion, the jacket was removed, exposing the canards, or fins, that help guide the projectile. Once the fuze is programmed, it must be fired within seven minutes, or the program data is deleted.
Target information was relayed from Observation Post Andrews 12 miles away. The Fire Direction Center team positioned behind the howitzers determined the firing data using the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) which contains ballistic information that provides firing data for the howitzer to engage the target. The AFATDS accounts for nonstandard conditions and checks against known fire support control measures that ensure no friendlies are in the firing area.
That exercise was the first time the Fort Sill Marines fired the PGK shells, and the first time a charge of that magnitude had been used here.
"We usually use a 1-Lima charge," said Crowe, saving the more powerful charge for training at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., where they have longer ranges.
A propellant canister holds five increments, which would be used for the most powerful charge.
Seven civilian instructors from Subsystem Technologies, Inc., Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., provided training support for the Marines as they learned the mechanics of inserting and programming the fuzes.
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