New, High Precision Israeli Artillery Shell

New, High Precision Israeli Artillery Shell

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The MLM division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has reached a very advanced stage in the development of its Top Gun precision artillery shells. This precision shell is especially tailored to the needs a low intensity warfare (LIC) very common in terror suppression missions. A company source told I-HLS that the series production will begin at the end of 2015.

Photo: IAI
Photo: IAI

TopGun converts standard artillery ammunition into a precision guided weapon. This by replacing the regular fuze of the 155 mm artillery shell with the one that was developed by MLM. TopGun performs 2D (two-dimensional) correction of the ballistic trajectory and achieves an accuracy – better than 10 m CEP at any range. The in-trajectory correction is achieved by four control surfaces that are unfolded from the fuze after the shell leaves the gun’s barrel.

IHLS – Israel Homeland Security

Photo: IAI
Photo: IAI

Mission data and target coordinates are downloaded from the gun computer via setter to the fuze just before firing the shell. After the shell is fired the on-board systems are initiated, the autonomous four steering fins are deployed, the GPS receiver acquires satellite data and the projectile performs a guided flight to the target location coordinates. The MLM source said tha each 155 mm artilley guns unit will have the special “smart” fuzes and they will be used for very accurate fire when minimal collateral damage is a first priority.