BAE Systems and United Technologies Corporation recently completed a successful guided flight test of the Multi-Service Standard Guided Projectile at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
The MS-SGP was fired from a 5-inch 62-caliber Mk 45 Mod 4 Naval Gun System and all guided flight test objectives were achieved, test officials maintain. The guided flight test, culminating more than 110 MS-SGP subsystem tests, demonstrates the tactical capability to a range of 38 kilometers.
The MS-SGP’s maximum range is nearly 100 kilometers, with accuracy of less than five meters. The MS-SGP significantly enhances the capability of U.S. Army and Marine Corps field artillery and U.S. Navy Mk 45 gun systems.
BAE Systems is no stranger to precision-guided munitions. It began working on the highly successful, but expensive Excalibur 155mm artillery round in the early 1990s. Excalibur has a range of about 40 kilometers and can be guided by GPS to within five meters of a target.
The Multi-Service Standard Guided Projectile is designed to provide a single solution for responsive, tactical fires for addressing stationary or moving targets for multiple U.S. or allied services at a fraction of the cost of current alternatives.
“Currently the U.S. and its allies are using significantly more expensive solutions to address fire support and tactical targets,” Chris Hughes, vice president and general manager of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems, said in a press release. “The projectile can provide the U.S. forces with an affordable, long-range, and precision gun-launched projectile to greatly expand our fire support capability.”
The MS-SGP is scheduled to be fired from an M777 towed howitzer late this summer.
