BGM-71 TOW Anti-Tank Guided Missile
Description
The BGM-71 TOW (“Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided”) 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 guidance system 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. 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 Raytheon.
| SPECIFICATION | |
|---|---|
| Length | 1.16–1.17 m (probe folded) 1.41–1.51 m (probe extended, some variants have no probe) |
| Diameter | 152 mm |
| Warhead weight | 3.9–6.14 kg (penetration 430-900mm RHA) |
| Wingspan | 0.46 m |
|
Operational
range |
Basic TOW 3,000 m, most variants 3,750 m |
| Speed | 278–320 m/s |
|
Guidance
system |
Optically tracked, wire-guided (Wireless Radio-guided in RF variants) |
