Difference between revisions of "BGM-71 TOW"

Revision as of 15:55, 19 April 2021

BGM-71 TOW mounted on M220 launcher with daysight tracker, AN/TAS-4A night sight and FCS with inserted battery module - 152mm

BGM-71 TOW mounted in M65 launcher on AH-1W - 152mm

BGM-71 TOW mounted on Humvee - 152mm.

The BGM-71 TOW series are SACLOS (semi-active command line of sight) missiles, and the US military's principle ground-based heavy antitank missile system. TOW was first produced by Hughes Aircraft in 1970 to replace the US' inventory of increasingly obsolete French-designed MGM-21A and MGM-32A MCLOS missiles and the M40 Recoilless Rifle, and the TOW series are currently manufactured by Raytheon. TOW stands for for "Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided" (or "Wireless" for the RF variant), making it perhaps the most contrived acronym in history. BGM (multiple launch environment ground-attack guided missile) is the code used for all TOW missile variants other than training rounds with dummy warheads but live motors: these are BTM-71 (multiple launch environment training guided missile).

While much lighter than the M40 recoilless rifle it replaced, the infantry TOW launcher is still an extremely large and heavy crew-served weapon, weighing about 270 pounds fully assembled, and incorporates a series of components, breaking down into a sighting unit, launch tube into which encased missiles are inserted, a traversing unit (which includes the bridging clamp with the umbilical data connector for the launcher to communicate with the missile), a tripod for ground use, and a separate fire control subsystem (FCS) module with either an inserted battery unit (except the latest FCS module for the M41 launcher, which does not have a socket for a battery) or a larger and longer-lasting silver-zinc battery power source (BPS) module. The BPS and FCS modules link to each other, with the FCS linked to the launcher via the coil cable that comes from its underside. For ground vehicle use, the BPS can also function as a power conditioner to accept voltage from the vehicle's own battery, and instead of a tripod mount, the traversing unit is mated with a base on the vehicle's hatch or a telescopic base for APCs. The Bradley IFV has a twin TOW box launcher that cannot be used dismounted from the vehicle and has all the control systems integrated into it, and there are also integrated launcher systems for attack helicopters.

The missiles are typically wire-guided, though an RF-guided wireless TOW does exist: this can be fired from any launcher, since the equipment for communicating with the missile in flight is encased in the launch tube. The guidance system uses an IR beacon on the missile's tail to track it, while a visible light beacon assists the operator in keeping track of the missile's location while using the day sight. The operator designates the target using the crosshairs in the scope for the entire flight time of the missile, with the fire control system calculating flight corrections to steer the missile to the designated point. See this link for some notes on the firing procedure.

The original production BGM-71A Basic TOW, BGM-71B and BGM-71C Improved TOW (ITOW) used an M151 launcher, which was later upgraded to the M220 launcher for the BGM-71D TOW-2 in the 80s. Later M151 models and the M220 used a dual sighting system with a mandatory daysight tracker and optional gas-cooled night sight which clamped onto the top, the AN/TAS-4, which was later updated to the AN/TAS-4A. The new ITAS (improved target acquisition system, referred to as SABER by the US Marine Corps) system, designed in the late 90s, has a redesigned launcher unit, the M41, which features a single combined sighting unit with a combined eyepiece (older TOW launchers having a separate eyepiece for the night sight) with a built-in laser rangefinder, an electronic cooling unit for the night sight that does not require gas cartridges, and automatic boresighting, along with a new traversing unit with improved controls (replacing the scattered controls and traversing knobs with controls mounted on a pair of handgrips), an improved fire control system, and longer-lasting lithium-ion power source (LPS) and charger. The companion upgrade for the Bradley is the Improved Bradley Acquisition Subsystem (IBAS). The newest version, M41 ITAS-FTL (Far Target Location) mounts a GPS-based PADS (position attitude determination subsystem) unit on top of the sighting unit for receiving precise coordinate data and using the TOW launcher as a designator for other weapons.

TOW is the world's most widely exported ATGM system, being found in the arsenals of 36 countries by the 1980s. An Iranian copy, Toophan, is also widely exported and often misidentified as an authentic TOW system.

Specifications

(1970 - present)

Type: Guided missile launcher

Caliber: 152mm (5.98 in)

Weight: 204 lbs (92.5 kg) (empty M220 launcher with TOW 2 mods and AN/TAS-4A fitted) + 52.8 lbs (23.9 kg) for TOW-2 FCS module with inserted battery pack (21 lbs (9.5 kg) for separate BPS with power conditioner) and ~ 60 lbs (27.2 kg) for missile

Length: 42.5 in (108 cm) (empty launcher), ~ 50 in (127 cm) (encased missile)

The BGM-71 TOW and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:

Film

Title	Character	Note	Date
Iron Eagle	Enemy soldiers	Mounted on AH-1F Cobra helicopters	1986
The Delta Force	Delta Force Operators	Launch tube only, without missile casing or sight	1986
Fire Birds	US Army soldiers	Mounted on AH-1S Cobra helicopters and M2 Bradley	1990
The Pentagon Wars	US Army soldiers	Tripod-mounted on truck and M2 Bradley	1998
Hulk	US Army soldier	Mounted on Humvee	2003
War of the Worlds	US Army soldiers	Mounted on Humvees	2005
War of the Worlds	US Marines	Mounted on Humvees	2005
The Tiger and the Snow	US Army soldier	Mounted on Humvees	2005
Superman Returns	Henchman	Mounted on ship, modified to fire kryptonite missile	2006
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	US Army soldiers	Mounted on M2 Bradley	2009
Battle: Los Angeles	US Marines	Mounted on AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters	2011
Man of Steel	US Army soldiers	Mounted on M2 Bradleys	2013

Television

Show Title	Character	Note / Episode	Air Date
The Sentinel	Sunrise Patriots terrorists	Tripod-mounted, "Siege" (S01E02)	1996
Over There		Mounted on M2 Bradley, "Embedded"	2005
Hawaii Five-0		arms dealers	2019-2020

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Notation	Release Date
Time Crisis II			Mounted on VAB armoured personnel carrier, unusable	1997
Half-Life			Mounted on M2 Bradley, unusable	1998
Crisis Zone			Mounted on M2 Bradley, unusable	1997
Time Crisis II			Mounted on VAB armoured personnel carrier, unusable	2001
Conflict: Desert Storm				2002
Time Crisis: Crisis Zone			Mounted on M2 Bradley, unusable	2004
Battlefield 2			Tripod and vehicle-mounted	2005
Project Reality		With thermal imaging	Tripod and vehicle-mounted	2005
Steel Beasts		With thermal imaging	Mounted on various military vehicles	2000
ArmA II			Tripod and vehicle-mounted	2009
America's Army		Appears to be a TGT (TOW Gunnery Trainer)	Tripod mounted, unusable	2002
Battlefield: Vietnam			Mounted on M151 MUTT	2004
Joint Task Force			Mounted on Humvee	2006
World in Conflict			Mounted on M2 Bradley	2007
ArmA: Armed Assault				2007
Call of Duty: Black Ops			Anachronistic M41 ITAS mounted on even more anachronistic 2011 Jeep Wrangler, shown firing MCLOS TV-guided missiles	2010
Battlefield 3			M220 tripod mount with AN/TAS-4A	2011
Battlefield Play4Free			Tripod and vehicle-mounted	2011
Battlefield 4			M220 tripod mount with AN/TAS-4A	2013
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance			Mounted on World Marshal Gekko unmanned vehicles	2013
Black Mesa	"TOW Launcher"	Missing bridging clamp	Ground mounting	2012
World of Guns: Gun Disassembly			Mounted on Humvee	2014

Anime

Title	Character	Note	Date
Digimon Tamers	JGSDF soldiers	Mounted on AH-1 Cobra helicopters	2001 - 2002
Black Lagoon	Neo-Nazis	Tripod-mounted	2006

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Image:Tow 07.jpg|thumb|right|400px|BGM-71 TOW mounted on M220 launcher with daysight tracker - 152mm]]
+[[Image:Tow 07.jpg|thumb|right|401px|BGM-71 TOW mounted on M220 launcher with daysight tracker, AN/TAS-4A night sight and FCS with inserted battery module - 152mm]]
 [[File:TOW AH-1W.jpg|thumb|right|400px|BGM-71 TOW mounted in M65 launcher on AH-1W - 152mm]]
-[[File:TOW Humvee mount.jpg|thumb|right|400px|BGM-71 TOW mounted on Humvee with daysight tracker - 152mm. The launcher is not in a ready-to-fire configuration, since the fire control system is not mounted]]
+[[File:TOW Humvee mount.jpg|thumb|right|450px|BGM-71 TOW mounted on Humvee - 152mm.]]
-The '''BGM-71 TOW''' series are SACLOS (semi-active command line of sight) missiles, and the US military's principle ground-based heavy antitank missile system. TOW was first produced by Hughes Aircraft in 1970 to replace the US' inventory of increasingly obsolete French-designed MGM-21A and MGM-32A MCLOS missiles and the[[M40 Recoilless Rifle]], and the TOW series are currently manufactured by Raytheon. TOW stands for for "Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided" (or "Wireless" for the RF variant), making it perhaps the most contrived acronym in history.
+The '''BGM-71 TOW''' series are SACLOS (semi-active command line of sight) missiles, and the US military's principle ground-based heavy antitank missile system. TOW was first produced by Hughes Aircraft in 1970 to replace the US' inventory of increasingly obsolete French-designed MGM-21A and MGM-32A MCLOS missiles and the [[M40 Recoilless Rifle]], and the TOW series are currently manufactured by Raytheon. TOW stands for for "Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided" (or "Wireless" for the RF variant), making it perhaps the most contrived acronym in history. BGM (multiple launch environment ground-attack guided missile) is the code used for all TOW missile variants other than training rounds with dummy warheads but live motors: these are '''BTM-71''' (multiple launch environment training guided missile).
-The infantry TOW launcher is an extremely large and heavy crew-served weapon, weighing about 270 pounds fully assembled, and incorporates a series of components, breaking down into a sighting unit, launch tube into which encased missiles are inserted, a traversing unit (which includes the bridging clamp with the umbilical data connector for the launcher to communicate with the missile), a tripod for ground use, and separate fire control system and battery modules which are linked to the launcher via cables. For ground vehicle use, the battery unit can also function as a power conditioner to accept voltage from the vehicle's own battery, and instead of a tripod mount, the traversing unit is mated with a base on the vehicle's hatch or a telescopic base for APCs. The Bradley IFV has a twin TOW box launcher that cannot be used dismounted from the vehicle and has all the control systems integrated into it, and there are also integrated launcher systems for attack helicopters.
+While much lighter than the M40 recoilless rifle it replaced, the infantry TOW launcher is still an extremely large and heavy crew-served weapon, weighing about 270 pounds fully assembled, and incorporates a series of components, breaking down into a sighting unit, launch tube into which encased missiles are inserted, a traversing unit (which includes the bridging clamp with the umbilical data connector for the launcher to communicate with the missile), a tripod for ground use, and a separate fire control subsystem (FCS) module with either an inserted battery unit (except the latest FCS module for the M41 launcher, which does not have a socket for a battery) or a larger and longer-lasting silver-zinc battery power source (BPS) module. The BPS and FCS modules link to each other, with the FCS linked to the launcher via the coil cable that comes from its underside. For ground vehicle use, the BPS can also function as a power conditioner to accept voltage from the vehicle's own battery, and instead of a tripod mount, the traversing unit is mated with a base on the vehicle's hatch or a telescopic base for APCs. The Bradley IFV has a twin TOW box launcher that cannot be used dismounted from the vehicle and has all the control systems integrated into it, and there are also integrated launcher systems for attack helicopters.
-The missiles are typically wire-guided, though an RF-guided wireless TOW does exist: this can be fired from any launcher, since the equipment for communicating with the missile in flight is encased in the launch tube. The guidance system uses an IR beacon on the missile's tail to track it, while a visible light beacon assists the operator in keeping track of the missile's location while using the day sight. The operator designates the target using the crosshairs in the scope for the entire flight time of the missile, with the fire control system calculating flight corrections to steer the missile to the designated point.
+The missiles are typically wire-guided, though an RF-guided wireless TOW does exist: this can be fired from any launcher, since the equipment for communicating with the missile in flight is encased in the launch tube. The guidance system uses an IR beacon on the missile's tail to track it, while a visible light beacon assists the operator in keeping track of the missile's location while using the day sight. The operator designates the target using the crosshairs in the scope for the entire flight time of the missile, with the fire control system calculating flight corrections to steer the missile to the designated point. See [[Talk:BGM-71_TOW#TOW_firing_procedure|this link]] for some notes on the firing procedure.
-Since the missile uses a thermal battery that has to warm up and requires time for its internal gyroscope to spin up, there is a 1.5 second delay between pulling the trigger and the missile actually launching, a behavior that is very seldom replicated in media: during this time a loud pop can be heard from the encased missile (an explosive bolt detonating to open the compressed nitrogen bottle that spins up the gyroscope), along with a series of clicking or pinging sounds (the thermal batteries warming up). TOW uses a soft-launch system where a smaller launch motor fires for 0.05 seconds to get the missile clear of the launcher, followed by the main engine igniting when the wings fully extend about 7 meters (23 feet) from the launcher. The missile travels for 0.53 seconds, covering around 65 meters (213 feet), before the warhead is armed by G forces from acceleration by the flight motor, a safety feature intended to protect the operator in the event of a flight motor failure (with the exception of the top-attacking BGM-71F TOW-2B, which has a minimum range of 150 to 300 meters (492-656 feet)). The flight motor burns out 1.6 seconds after launch, with the missile gliding for the remainder of its flight time. The twin wire spools connecting the missile to its casing are 3,000 meters (1.86 miles) long on the BGM-71A Basic TOW and 3,750 meters (2.33 miles) long on most other wire-guided variants, making this the maximum range of the weapon: at this range the wires are automatically cut. There is no tension on the wires and they simply unspool and trail along the ground behind the missile as it flies: this does make wired TOW variants dangerous to operate near power lines and can reduce their effective range if they are flown over water.
+The original production BGM-71A Basic TOW, BGM-71B and BGM-71C Improved TOW (ITOW) used an M151 launcher, which was later upgraded to the M220 launcher for the BGM-71D TOW-2 in the 80s. Later M151 models and the M220 used a dual sighting system with a mandatory daysight tracker and optional gas-cooled night sight which clamped onto the top, the AN/TAS-4, which was later updated to the AN/TAS-4A. The new ITAS (improved target acquisition system, referred to as SABER by the US Marine Corps) system, designed in the late 90s, has a redesigned launcher unit, the M41, which features a single combined sighting unit with a combined eyepiece (older TOW launchers having a separate eyepiece for the night sight) with a built-in laser rangefinder, an electronic cooling unit for the night sight that does not require gas cartridges, and automatic boresighting, along with a new traversing unit with improved controls (replacing the scattered controls and traversing knobs with controls mounted on a pair of handgrips), an improved fire control system, and longer-lasting lithium-ion power source (LPS) and charger. The companion upgrade for the Bradley is the Improved Bradley Acquisition Subsystem (IBAS). The newest version, M41 ITAS-FTL (Far Target Location) mounts a GPS-based PADS (position attitude determination subsystem) unit on top of the sighting unit for receiving precise coordinate data and using the TOW launcher as a designator for other weapons.
-The original production BGM-71A Basic TOW, BGM-71B and BGM-71C Improved TOW (ITOW) used an M151 launcher, which was later upgraded to the M220 launcher for the BGM-71D TOW-2 in the 80s. Later M151 models and the M220 used a dual sighting system with a mandatory daysight tracker and optional gas-cooled night sight which clamped onto the top, the AN/TAS-4, which was later updated to the AN/TAS-4A. The new ITAS (improved target acquisition system, referred to as SABER by the US Marine Corps) system, designed in the late 90s, has a redesigned launcher unit, the M41, which features a single combined sighting unit with a combined eyepiece (older TOW launchers having a separate eyepiece for the night sight) with a built-in laser rangefinder, an electronic cooling unit for the night sight that does not require gas cartridges, and automatic boresighting, along with a new traversing unit with improved controls (replacing the scattered controls and traversing knobs with controls mounted on a pair of grips), an improved fire control system, and longer-lasting lithium-ion battery pack and charger. The newest version, M41 ITAS-FTL (Far Target Location) mounts a GPS-based PADS (position attitude determination subsystem) unit on top of the sighting unit for receiving precise coordinate data and using the TOW launcher as a designator for other weapons.
+TOW is the world's most widely exported ATGM system, being found in the arsenals of 36 countries by the 1980s. An Iranian copy, Toophan, is also widely exported and often misidentified as an authentic TOW system.
 ==Specifications==
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 * '''Caliber:''' 152mm (5.98 in)
-* '''Weight:''' {{convert|lbs|204}} (empty M220 launcher with TOW 2 mods and AN/TAS-4A fitted) + {{convert|lbs|52.8}} for fire control system and ~ {{convert|lbs|60}} for missile
+* '''Weight:''' {{convert|lbs|204}} (empty M220 launcher with TOW 2 mods and AN/TAS-4A fitted) + {{convert|lbs|52.8}} for TOW-2 FCS module with inserted battery pack ({{convert|lbs|21}} for separate BPS with power conditioner) and ~ {{convert|lbs|60}} for missile
-* '''Length:''' {{convert|in|42.5}} (launcher), ~ {{convert|in|50}} (encased missile)
+* '''Length:''' {{convert|in|42.5}} (empty launcher), ~ {{convert|in|50}} (encased missile)
 -----
@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 |  ''[[Iron Eagle]]'' || || Enemy soldiers ||  Mounted on AH-1F Cobra helicopters || 1986
 |-
-| ''[[Fire Birds]]'' ||  || U.S. Army soldiers ||  Mounted on AH-1S Cobra helicopters and M2 Bradley || 1990
+| ''[[The Delta Force]]'' || || Delta Force Operators || Launch tube only, without missile casing or sight || 1986
 |-
-|  ''[[Hulk]]'' || || U.S. Army soldier ||  Mounted on Humvee || 2003
+| ''[[Fire Birds]]'' ||  || US Army soldiers ||  Mounted on AH-1S Cobra helicopters and M2 Bradley || 1990
 |-
-| ''[[War of the Worlds]]'' || || U.S. Army Soldiers ||   Mounted on Humvees || 2005
+|  ''[[Pentagon Wars, The|The Pentagon Wars]]'' |||| US Army soldiers ||  Tripod-mounted on truck and M2 Bradley || 1998
 |-
-|  ''[[War of the Worlds]]'' |||| U.S. Marines ||  Mounted on Humvees || 2005
+|  ''[[Hulk]]'' || || US Army soldier ||  Mounted on Humvee || 2003
+|-
+| ''[[War of the Worlds (2005)|War of the Worlds]]'' || || US Army soldiers ||  Mounted on Humvees || 2005
+|-
+|  ''[[War of the Worlds (2005)|War of the Worlds]]'' |||| US Marines ||  Mounted on Humvees || 2005
+|-
+|''[[Tiger and the Snow, The (La tigre e la neve)|The Tiger and the Snow]]'' || ||US Army soldier||Mounted on Humvees||2005
 |-
 | ''[[Superman Returns]]'' || || Henchman ||  Mounted on ship, modified to fire kryptonite missile || 2006
 |-
-|  ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' || || U.S. Army soldiers ||  Mounted on M2 Bradley || 2009
+|  ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' || || US Army soldiers ||  Mounted on M2 Bradley || 2009
 |-
-|  ''[[Pentagon Wars, The|The Pentagon Wars]]'' |||| U.S. Army soldiers ||  Tripod-mounted on truck and M2 Bradley || 1998
+|  ''[[Battle: Los Angeles]]'' || || US Marines ||  Mounted on AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters || 2011
 |-
-|  ''[[Battle: Los Angeles]]'' || || U.S. Marines ||  Mounted on AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters || 2011
+|  ''[[Man of Steel]]'' || || US Army soldiers ||  Mounted on M2 Bradleys || 2013
-|-
-|  ''[[Man of Steel]]'' || || U.S. Army soldiers ||  Mounted on M2 Bradleys || 2013
 |-
 |}
@@ Line 72: / Line 76: @@
 |-
 |  ''[[Over There]]''  || ||  ||  Mounted on M2 Bradley, "Embedded" || 2005
+|-
+| ''[[Hawaii Five-0 (2010) - Season 10|Hawaii Five-0]]'' ||||  ||arms dealers ||2019-2020
 |-
 |}
@@ Line 85: / Line 91: @@
 !align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="100"|''' Release Date'''
 |-
-| [[Half-Life]] ||  ||  || Mounted on M2 Bradley, non-playable || 1998
+| [[Time Crisis II]] || || || Mounted on VAB armoured personnel carrier, unusable || 1997
+|-
+| [[Half-Life]] ||  ||  || Mounted on M2 Bradley, unusable || 1998
+|-
+| [[Crisis Zone]] || || || Mounted on M2 Bradley, unusable || 1997
+|-
+| [[Time Crisis II]] || || || Mounted on VAB armoured personnel carrier, unusable || 2001
 |-
 | [[Conflict: Desert Storm]] ||  ||  || || 2002
+|-
+| [[Crisis Zone|Time Crisis: Crisis Zone]] || || || Mounted on M2 Bradley, unusable || 2004
 |-
 | [[Battlefield 2]] ||  ||  || Tripod and vehicle-mounted || 2005
@@ Line 97: / Line 111: @@
 | [[ArmA II]] ||  ||  || Tripod and vehicle-mounted || 2009
 |-
-| [[America's Army]] ||  || Appears to be a TGT (TOW Gunnery Trainer) || Tripod mounted, non-playable || 2002
+| [[America's Army]] ||  || Appears to be a TGT (TOW Gunnery Trainer) || Tripod mounted, unusable || 2002
 |-
 | [[Battlefield: Vietnam]] ||  ||  || Mounted on M151 MUTT || 2004
@@ Line 107: / Line 121: @@
 | [[ArmA: Armed Assault]] ||  ||  || || 2007
 |-
-| [[Call of Duty: Black Ops]] || || || Anachronistic M41 ITAS mounted on even more anachronistic 2011 Jeep Wrangler|| 2010
+| [[Call of Duty: Black Ops]] || || || Anachronistic M41 ITAS mounted on even more anachronistic 2011 Jeep Wrangler, shown firing MCLOS TV-guided missiles || 2010
 |-
-| [[Battlefield 3]] ||  ||  || Tripod mounted || 2011
+| [[Battlefield 3]] ||  ||  || M220 tripod mount with AN/TAS-4A|| 2011
 |-
 | [[Battlefield Play4Free]] ||  ||  || Tripod and vehicle-mounted || 2011
 |-
-| [[Battlefield 4]] ||  ||  || Tripod mounted || 2013
+| [[Battlefield 4]] ||  ||  || M220 tripod mount with AN/TAS-4A || 2013
 |-
 | [[Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance]] || || || Mounted on World Marshal Gekko unmanned vehicles || 2013
 |-
-| [[Black Mesa]] || "TOW Launcher" || Missing bridging clamp, incorrectly shown as laser guided || Ground mounting || 2012 / 2015
+| [[Black Mesa]] || "TOW Launcher" || Missing bridging clamp || Ground mounting || 2012
+|-
+| ''[[World of Guns: Gun Disassembly]]'' || ||  || Mounted on Humvee|| 2014
 |-
 |}