BAE Systems has demonstrated the capability of its Rokar Silver Bullet artillery shell retrofit to turn any conventional indirect fire round into a precision-guided munition, the company said May 11.
In the latest in a series of live-fire tests held in February, the Silver Bullet showed it could impart to any standard 155mm artillery shell the ability to correct course midflight, BAE said. The innovation allows for reduced risk of friendly fire or collateral damage during artillery barrages in support of troops in enemy contact.
The most recent live-fire tests were conducted in Israel in cooperation with South Korean contractor Poongsan Corp. The system allows each artillery round to self-correct its flight path, which the company says will provide more accurate indirect fire in support of troops fighting in urban environments and against protected targets.
At least 150 Silver Bullet precision guidance kits have been fired in several rounds of testing stretching over the past few years and conducted in various terrain to include land and maritime environments, BAE said. Most of the Silver Bullet-equipped rounds struck within 10 meters of their intended target.
“The Silver Bullet precision guidance kit provides military commanders with additional operational flexibility, through a higher hit capability and increased mission effectiveness for artillery forces,” Nir Lavi, general manager of BAE Systems Rokar, said in a prepared statement.
Soldiers can quickly install the Silver Bullet in the field as a standard artillery fuse and it is compatible with existing inventories of M795 and K109 shells. Because it can be retrofitted onto existing 105mm shells, it is compatible with the M109 family of howitzers.
Once installed, the smart fuse uses a GPS sensor to correct its flight path toward a predetermined target. This ability cuts down on the time need to aim the cannon, BAE said. It also “greatly increases the ability to hit a target with the first shot fired.”
A similar Raytheon product, the Excalibur 1b guided artillery shell, was cleared in February for use with the M109A2/A3 self-propelled howitzer. Unlike the retrofittable Silver Bullet, the Excalibur is a purpose-built guided shell that has integrated fins and a dual-mode seeker.