Raytheon Company and the U.S. Army achieved excellence in recent flight tests of the tube-launched, optically-tracked, wireless (TOW) missile. In September, the team scored its 100th TOW hit, which marked the successful engagement of 100 out of 100 targets.
During the testing program, which began in 2011, several missiles hit targets beyond 4,000 meters with zero inches of deviation from the aim point in either altitude or azimuth, demonstrating accuracy and reliability.
"TOW continues to build on its legacy as one of the most accurate and effective precision assault weapon systems in militaries around the world," said Scott Speet, Raytheon Missile Systems' TOW program director. "At the same time, it remains the most affordable missile in its category."
The TOW weapon system features a family of multimission missiles fired from a variety of ground and helicopter platforms. Wireless TOW missiles include an RF transmitter added to the missile case and an RF receiver located inside the missile. Since no launcher modifications were required for the transition to wireless, this growth in capability is transparent to TOW customers.