Course Correcting Fuze (CCF)

The challenge within the Army is to balance the quantities of conventional with precision munitions. The Course Correcting Fuze (CCF) is one of these efforts. CCF will add near precision capability to conventional munitions by allowing limited corrections through fins located in the fuze body. The CCF is a revolutionary, GPS-based innovation that dramatically improves the effectiveness of existing cannon artillery ammunition and provides near-precision accuracy that is critical in combat environments. It can be employed on all types of US 155-mm and 105-mm projectiles in the U.S. Field Artillery inventory, and is ready for a fast track full scale development and early fielding.

Urban conflict in Iraq has re-validated the need for accurate and responsive cannon fired artillery. This successful CCF demonstration proves an affordable solution for dramatically improving the accuracy of cannons has arrived and can be quickly fielded. With CCF, we're doing for cannon artillery what JDAM did for air delivered munitions - making existing iron projectiles 'smart'.

The CCF makes projectiles more accurate by integrating G-hardened, military GPS with proven flight control technology. Before a CCF-equipped round is fired, the target's GPS coordinates are programmed into the fuze. After the round is fired, the CCF guides the projectile to the target by deploying three different types of brakes (deployable fins) that adjust the projectile's range and deflection. During the projectile's flight, satellites communicate with the fuze to ensure the brakes deploy at the right time and continually adjust the projectile's trajectory to guide the round to its intended target.

By 2004 analysis confirmed the overwhelming benefit of fielding a course-correcting fuze (CCF) that will vastly improve accuracy and drive down the logistical tail. With the support of the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Commander, the Field Artillery community was working aggressively with the acquisition and technology communities to provide 155-mm and 105-mm Cannoneers this CCF capability as quickly as possible.

United Defense built 128 fuzes, with 110 fired, including zone 8s. Verified stable, in-flight deployment and aerodynamic corrections. Developed fire control algorithms for brake deployment scheduling. Testing was conducted on March 30th and 31st, 2005 at YPG in Yuma, Arizona to demonstrate CCF functionality in a live fire environment. The following preliminary results were obtained. It achieved fuze structural integrity under low zone firing, and acchieved communication with GPS constellation. The tests achieved on-board, real-time computation of GPS/control system solution, and verified range-brake (main/vernier) performance. On-board computation of corrections Analysis ongoing and further testing was planned.

By June 2005 United Defense Industries had demonstrated a cost-effective system to improve cannon artillery accuracy with the successful firing of inert M795 155-mm cannon projectiles equipped with a two-directional Course Correcting Fuze (CCF). United Defense successfully fired M795 rounds equipped with the CCF from a M109A6 Paladin to ranges of 14.5 kilometers at Yuma Proving Ground. Preliminary analysis from the demonstration confirmed United Defense's laboratory analysis and the projectiles equipped with the CCF achieved a precision error of less than 50 meters - three times more accurate than the control rounds. United Defense's successful demonstration of the two-directional CCF prototype in a gun-fired environment is an industry first and it places the system at Technology Readiness Level 6.

United Defense has developed this new system with teammates Bofors Defence, Rockwell Collins and BT Fuze Products. United Defense is teamed with the premier munitions and fuze experts at Bofors Defence and BT Fuze Products, and munition GPS experts at Rockwell Collins to develop and produce the CCF. With more than five years already invested by this team in the CCF program, we are positioned to deliver this new capability to the Army in less than 12 months.

By late 2005 the Course-Correcting Fuze (CCF) had been refocused as the PGK (Precision Guidance Kit). PGK is a course-correcting fuze that improves the delivery accuracy of the current stockpile of 105/155mm artillery ammunition. The plan as of 2005 was to award multiple Technology Development (TD) contracts in January 2006 for a system prototype demonstration/shoot-off in an operational environment in August 2006 and then, based on shoot-off results, down-select to a single SDD contractor and go into production as soon as possible.

In June 2006, BAE Systems was selected by the US Army's Project Manager, Combat Ammunition Systems to participate in a competitive technology demonstration program for the PGK. Leveraging its cannon development expertise, BAE Systems hds tested more than 100 CCF fuzes in laboratory and gun-fired environments and was the first in industry or government to successfully demonstrate a two-directional CCF prototype in a gun-fired environment at Yuma Proving Ground in June 2005. These successful demonstrations prove that BAE Systems can rapidly meet the Army's needs for a PGK solution.