A defense contractor with operations in Huntsville has successfully fired a guidance system for artillery projectiles.

BAE Systems announced the test of its Long-Range Precision Guidance Kit (LR-PGK) for 155mm artillery projectiles from the U.S. Army’s Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.

The test shows the kit’s airframe structural survivability under “extreme firing conditions,” the company said.

The LR-PGK is designed to improve the accuracy of unguided artillery projectiles with low-cost navigation and guidance technology. The guidance kit combines anti-jam GPS sensors with control planes that enable the projectile to maneuver.

According to BAE Systems, the kit is compatible with existing and future artillery projectiles. James McDonough, LR-PGK program director for BAE, said the kit allows accurate fires of up to 70 kilometers.

“Adding precision guidance to standard munitions enables our customers to engage targets with greater efficiency and reduce collateral damage,” he said.

Following the tests, BAE said it is focusing on long-range guidance, navigation, and projectile flight control for the kits. Further tests will reveal their ability to operate at high spin rates, in challenging atmospheric conditions, and in the presence of enemy signal-jamming.

BAE, one of the world’s largest defense contractors, opened its $45.5 million Huntsville expansion at the corner of Old Madison Pike and Jan Davis Drive two years ago.

The company operates a 83,000-square-foot facility in Cummings Research Park on a 20-acre site with room for expansion, and expects to have 200 employees working there by the end of the year.