Our 155mm Artillery Shell

L15 High Explosive (HE)

Designed for use with a range of 155mm guns, this shell combines advanced technology with logistic simplicity, giving the user higher performance, in a cost effective manner. It comprises of a high tensile, steel body and is fitted with a user-selected fuze, for greater operational flexibility. The shell body features a thin wall, which is optimised for high fragmentation and blast effect.

XL12E1 High Explosive (HE) Extended Range (ER)

Based on a mature design, with a shell body adapted from the L15 High Explosive (HE) shell. A screw-on base bleed unit can be used to optimise range extension whilst maximising lethality.

L21 High Explosive (HE)

This shell is ballistically matched to the M107, as used by the US military. It is fitted with a removable nose plug, providing the user with greater operational flexibility, through choice of fuze.

L17 Inert 

For use in gun proving, gun warming and handling practice, this shell is ballistically matched to the L15 High Explosive (HE) shell. It is fitted with a Plug Representing Fuze (PRF) and the steel body contains inert filling.

Our 155mm Propelling Charges

Our 155mm ammunition is supported by a range of propelling charges, which are designed for use in a wide range of 155mm ammunition systems.

L8 Propelling Charge

This consists of a cloth bag containing charge increments three to seven, with increments four to seven being removable. Ignition is by base igniter pad, contained in charge increment three and a breech-loaded percussion primer. A flash reduction agent is included in increment five and a de-coppering agent is included in increments five, six and seven.

L10 Propelling Charge

This consists of a combustible case, containing a single bundle of propellant and an igniter and disc assembly. A de-coppering agent is included in the charge.

L18 Propelling Charge

Used for training, this charge system consists of five increment charges of unequal size, to provide coverage for all zone firings. A flash reduction agent is included in the propellant composition and a de-coppering agent is included in increment four. The propellant is contained in cloth bags and the complete charge is secured together by cloth tying straps, attached to the base charge.

Filling the weapons gap and increasing platform firepower

The U.S. Government’s only program of record for 2.75”/70mm guided rockets, our APKWS guidance kit transforms unguided 2.75-inch (70 millimeter) rockets like the Hydra 70 Mk 66 and others into precision-guided munitions (PGMs). Qualified on numerous U.S. Department of War (DoW) platforms, APKWS laser guidance kits provide affordable surgical-strike capability to multiple rotary-wing and fixed-wing platforms, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, static and mounted ground platforms, and maritime vessels.

The APKWS system bridges the gap between unguided rockets and larger anti-armor munitions with commonality across the U.S. military services – Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force. The APKWS system consistently delivers pinpoint accuracy for the highest lethality available against soft and lightly-armored targets at a lower cost than other systems.

Greater strike range with unmatched precision lethality

With the category’s highest combat-proven hit rate, APKWS guidance kit equipped rocket consistently hit their intended target with pinpoint accuracy while limiting collateral damage. The guidance section is designed to lock onto targets from over 6 kilometers away, supporting survivability and mission success by keeping your launch platform at a safe standoff distance from threats. The guidance kit’s Single Variant Block Upgrade optimized flight trajectory so the rocket can hit targets at a steeper angle of attack for enhanced lethality.

Innovative by design, the APKWS kit includes advanced Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) optics located on all four guidance wings, which are protected by wing-slot seals prior to firing, avoiding adjacent fire damage that can interfere with a nose mount seeker. Once the rocket is fired, the APKWS kit’s wings deploy and the optics lock on to designated targets, guiding the rocket to the target – delivering accurate strikes and minimizing collateral damage when and where it matters most.

• Wing slot seals protect optics from adjacent firings, sand, and moisture prior to launch to ensure no damage or debris inhibit the seeker from locking onto targets
• Optics lock on to moving or stationary targets in open or confined areas, supporting a wide variety of missions, and reducing any chance of a lost or uncontrolled rocket after launch
• 40-degree instantaneous field of regard enables a broad capture area for the rocket to adjust mid-flight and stay on track to its target
   

Cost effective, easy to integrate, and more capable than ever

First put into production in 2008, the APKWS laser-guidance kit proved to be one of the most accurate, effective, and easy to implement systems in the world for converting unguided rockets into laser-guided rockets (LGR).  Today’s system has also proven itself capable in air-to-air targeting of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and low-flying cruise missiles – as part of a counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) – as well as in ground-to-ground lethality fired from launchers mounted on vehicles and remote weapon stations.

Mission and platform flexibility, as well as its light weight and low cost of integration, makes our APKWS system one of the most highly capable and useful combat weapons available to every department of the U.S. DoW and to U.S. allies. In fact, since its introduction, over 100,000 APKWS units have been sold for service worldwide.

Production-ready for high demand

APKWS guidance kits are readily available. Demand from the U.S. military and international governments is high, and BAE Systems is well-positioned to support that demand. Our state-of-the-art factories in Hudson, New Hampshire and Austin, Texas continue to produce and deliver with available excess capacity, supported by our robust supply chain, advanced manufacturing capabilities, and recent investments of over $100 million in infrastructure improvements. We offer a manufacturing capacity of at least 25,000 units per year, and are continuing to expand production.

With most of our supply chain in the United States, our centralized approach, and focus on delivering zero defects, we are optimizing overall production and delivery efficiency, which shows in our:

• Over 12 years in full-rate production
• More than 100,000 units delivered to date
• Proven ability to surge capacity, accelerating the delivery of over a thousand units ahead of schedule.