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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 U.S. 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 2002 because of funding limitations. [ 22 ]
The BGM-71 TOW (“Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided”) is an American anti-tank missile. First produced in 1970, the TOW is one of the most widely used anti-tank guided missiles. Design and development A U.S. Army soldier in 1964, with the first concept mock-up of Redstone Arsenal’s proposed future HAW system (Heavy Antitank Weapon). The HAW ultimately resulted […]
The studies called for a tube-launched, optically-tracked, and wire-guided missile (hence the acronym TOW), and design contracts were awarded to three companies. Hughes was eventually awarded the prime development contract for the BGM-71 missile, and from 1963 until 1968, TOW was developed in parallel for both ground- and air-launched applications.
- 15.2 cm (6 in)
- 300 m/s (1000 fps)
- 34.3 cm (13.5 in)
- 45 cm (17.7 in)
- Design and Development
- Service History
- Variants
- International
- Operators
- See Also
- Sources
- External Links
Initially developed by Hughes Aircraft between 1963 and 1968, the XBGM-71A was designed for both ground and heliborne applications. In 1997, Raytheon Co. purchased Hughes Electronics from General Motors Corporation, so development and production of TOW systems now comes under the Raytheon brand.The weapon is used in anti-armor, anti-bunker, anti-fo...
In 1968, a contract for full-scale production was awarded to Hughes, and by 1970 the system was being fielded by the U.S. Army. When adopted, the BGM-71 series replaced the M40 106 mm recoilless rifle and the MGM-32 ENTAC missile system then in service. The missile also replaced the AGM-22Bthen in service as a heliborne anti-tank weapon.
Raytheonhas taken over for Hughes in recent years, and now handles production of all current variants, as well as TOW development. Original armor penetration estimates were 600 mm for BGM-71A/B and 700–800 mm for BGM-71C. However, according to a now declassified CIA study, the true penetration values against a vertical target are much lower—just 43...
Iran has reverse engineered the type from examples acquired before 1979 and currently manufactures duplicate TOW missiles. These carry the Iranian designation of Toophan.
Former
1. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 2. Netherlands: The decision to replace the M47 Dragon (in use with reconnaissance units) and TOW (in use with mechanized infantry) with the "Gill MRAT" was made in 2001, with deliveries expected in 2002. The first Gill MRAT was actually issued in 2004 to the Regiment van Heutsz.
Dunstan, Simon (1982). Vietnam Tracks-Armor in Battle. Osprey Publications. ISBN 0-89141-171-2.In December 1984, a further enhancement to the TOW 2 was started to counter the appliqué armor threat. Hughes Aircraft developed the TOW 2A missile for the U.S. Army to defeat advances in the armor threat caused by the advent of first and second generation Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA).
Jan 22, 2023 · The BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missile weapon system was developed in the latter half of the 1960s to become the primary anti-armor weapon system of the United States and its allies during the Cold War. Despite its Cold War origins, the TOW missile system is still deployed in large numbers today and has been evolved into more lethal forms with each ...
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The TOW is mid Cold War era anti-tank missile of US origin. It was developed in the 1960's to replace the older 106mm M40 recoilless rifle and French Entac and AS-11 missiles in US service. The name TOW is an abbreviation for "Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire command data link, guided missile".
