BGM-71 TOW | |
---|---|
Type | Anti-tank missile |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1970–present |
Used by | See Operators |
Wars |
|
Production history | |
Designer | Hughes Aircraft Company |
Designed | 1963–1968 |
Unit cost | $93,640 (2B Aero), $54,956 (Bunker Buster) FY2021[5] £8,500 (1984)[6] |
No. built | > 700,000[7] |
Specifications | |
Length | 1.16–1.17 m with probe folded 1.41–1.51 m with probe extended (some variants have no probe) |
Diameter | 152 mm |
Wingspan | 0.46 m |
Warhead weight | 3.9–6.14 kg (penetration 430–900 mm RHA)[8] |
Operational range | Basic TOW 3,000 m, most variants 3,750 m |
Maximum speed | 278–320 m/s |
Guidance system | Optically tracked, wire-guided (wireless radio-guided in RF variants) |
The BGM-71 TOW ("Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided", pronounced /ˈtoʊ/)[9] is an American anti-tank missile. TOW replaced much smaller missiles like the SS.10 and ENTAC, offering roughly twice the effective range, a more powerful warhead, and a greatly improved semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) that could also be equipped with infrared cameras for night time use.
First produced in 1970, TOW is one of the most widely used anti-tank guided missiles.[10] It can be found in a wide variety of manually carried and vehicle-mounted forms, as well as widespread use on helicopters. Originally designed by Hughes Aircraft in the 1960s, the weapon is currently produced by RTX.