Finland To Spend $70 Million On Precision Artillery

More than 5,000 kits to convert 155mm artillery shells into guided weapons are set to be purchased by the Government of Finland.

The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of 5,500 of the Precision Guided Kits (PGKs) — manufactured by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems — as per a statement on the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) website.

The deal also includes compatibility testing, firing tables, integration kits, a precision-guided munition simulator, technical assistance and other related elements of logistics and program support.

The DSCA statement noted: "The proposed sale will improve Finland’s capability to meet current and future threats and enhance its interoperability with U.S. and other allied forces" and "will enhance Finland’s artillery and mid-range fire capability."

The PGK screws into the nose of the projectile much like a conventional fuze. It also provides GPS guidance package and fins to correct the flight of the shell.  A failsafe mechanism means if the shell does not land within 150m of its intended target, it will not detonate.

It has a range of up to 25 miles and aspires to an accuracy inside a 10-metre radius when fired from a 39-calibre barrel. As per a Northrop Grumman press release, by September 2022 the company had sold and delivered more than 100,000 PGK kits.

You can read the full details of the proposed sale on the DSCA website