BGM-71 TOW

A TOW missile being fired from a Jeep. A small charge boosts the missile clear of the launcher before the rocket motor ignites -- fortunately for the soldier standing next to it!

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.

Variants

• Basic TOW, original TOW
• I-TOW, improved TOW, produced in 1980.
• TOW 2
• TOW-2A, late 1980s.
• TOW 2B, 1991
• TOW F&F, Fire-and-Forget, next version of the TOW

M-220 TOW is the premier airborne, air assault, and light infantry's answer to armor. The TOW (tube launched, optically tracked, wire guided) missile system is capable of defeating armor at 3.75 km. New improvements include a built in laser range-finder, night time thermal optics able to view out to over 8000 meters at night, and fewer parts required to run the system.

External link

• www.fas.org