BGM-71 TOW
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The BGM-71 TOW is a US anti-tank missile. TOW stands for Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided.
The TOW was first produced in 1970 and is the most widely used anti-tank missile in the world. Current production TOWs can penetrate all currently known tank armor.
History
Initially developed by Hughes Aircraft between 1963 and 1968, the XBGM-71A was designed for both ground and heli-borne applications. In 1968 a contract for fullscale production was awarded to Hughes, and by 1970 the system was being fielded by the US Army. When adopted, the BGM-71 series replaced the M40 106mm recoilless rifle and the MGM-32 ENTAC missile system then in service. The missile also replaced the AGM-22B then in service as a heli-borne anti-tank weapon. In 1972 the missile was deployed operationally in South Vietnam in response to the NVA's Easter Invasion, as part of the XM26 Armament Subsystem for the UH-1B helicopter. The TOW missile was continually upgraded, with an improved TOW missile appearing in 1978, TOW 2 in 1983, and TOW 2A/B in 1987. Even as recently as 2001, TOW improvement has continued.A TOW missile was used by U.S. forces in Iraq in the July 22, 2003 attack that killed Uday Hussein and Qusay Hussein.
Variants
Raytheon has taken over for Hughes in recent years, and now handles production of all current variants, as well as TOW development.
| Designation | Description |
|---|---|
| XBGM-71A/BGM-71A | Hughes Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-guided (TOW) Missile |
| BGM-71B | BGM-71A variant; improved range |
| BGM-71C | BGM-71B variant; Improved TOW (ITOW) w/ copper linear warhead/penetrator |
| BGM-71D | BGM-71C variant; TOW 2, improved guidance, motor and enlarged main and penetrator warheads |
| BGM-71E | BGM-71D variant; TOW 2A optimised to defeat ERA |
| BGM-71F | BGM-71D variant; TOW 2B top-down attack variant |
| BGM-71G | BGM-71F variant; different AP warhead; not produced |
| BGM-71H | BGM-71E variant; “bunker buster” variant for use against fortified structures |
Hughes developed a TOW missile with a wireless data link in 1989, referred to as TOW 2N, but this weapon was not adopted for use by the US military. Raytheon continued to develop improvements to the TOW line, but its FOTT (Follow-On To TOW) program was canceled in 1998, and its TOW-FF (TOW-Fire and Forget) program was cut short in November 30, 2001 [link] because of funding limitations. In 2001 and 2002, Raytheon and the US Army worked together on an extended range TOW 2B variant, initially referred to as TOW 2B (ER), but now called TOW 2B Aero. Although this missile has been in production since 2004, no US Army designation has yet been assigned.
Note that the TOW missile in its current iterations is not a fire-and-forget weapon, and like most second generation wire-guided missiles has Semi-Automatic Command Line of Sight guidance. This means that the guidance system is directly linked to the platform, and requires that the target be kept in the shooter's line of sight until the missile impacts. This has been the major impetus to develop either a fire-and-forget version of the system or to develop a successor with this ability.
Launch Platforms
The TOW is designated as a BGM by the US military. By its very definition, a BGM is a Multiple Launch Environment (B) Surface Attack (G) Guided Missile (M). The B launch environment prefix is used only when the system can be used essentially unmodified when launched from a variety of launch platforms.
The M220 launcher is used by infantry, but can also be mounted on a number of vehicles, including the M151 jeep, the M113 APC, and the M966 HMMWV. This launcher is technically man-portable, but is quite bulky. This launcher has been upgraded to include a thermal optic to allow night time usage, and has been simplified to reduce weight.
TOW systems have also been developed for vehicle specific applications on the M2/M3 Bradley IFV/CFV, the M1134 Stryker ATGM carrier, and the M901 ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle).
In helicopter applications, the M65 system used by the AH-1 series is the primary system deployed, but the XM26 system was developed for the UH-1, and a system was put into development for the later canceled AH-56 helicopter.
Operators
- - Lynx Helicopter only
External links
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