Northrop Grumman has begun production of the M1156E5 Precision Guidance Kit, known as PGK E5, a new guidance system for 155mm artillery shells designed to preserve accuracy when GPS signals are disrupted by electronic warfare, the company said.
The PGK E5 is fitted in place of a standard artillery fuze, converting a compatible 155mm shell into a guided munition. The kit keeps the same form factor and weight, around 1.4 kilograms, as earlier versions, meaning militaries do not need to buy a separate fully guided shell to get the added precision.
How the kit performs under jamming
During tests conducted under GPS jamming conditions, the M1156E5 delivered accuracy of less than 30 meters, Northrop Grumman said. The company did not disclose how strong the jamming signals were during those tests. The kit is intended to help artillery shells hold their accuracy as GPS signals weaken due to electronic warfare, a growing threat on modern battlefields where jamming and spoofing are used to disrupt precision-guided weapons.
Northrop Grumman is one of the largest US defense contractors, producing weapons systems, aircraft and space technology for the US military and allied forces. The Precision Guidance Kit family it makes is one of the most widely fielded low-cost guidance add-ons for conventional artillery shells, offering forces GPS-assisted accuracy without the cost of fully precision-guided munitions.
Compatibility and deliveries
The PGK E5 is compatible with the M109A6 and M109A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzers as well as the M777A2 towed howitzer, along with a range of 155mm ammunition. Both howitzer families are used by the US Army and a number of allied militaries as standard artillery platforms.
Northrop Grumman said the first deliveries of the PGK E5 to the US Army are expected in early 2028. The company also said the total number of kits delivered across the wider PGK family has now passed 145,000 units.
