Weapons

Raytheon Ramps Up Range On TOW Missile

Raytheon is developing a next-generation version of the venerable TOW anti-tank missile. Its range will be almost 50 percent greater than the current TOW 2B and twice that of the original model introduced in 1970. And it will likely boast a new fire-and-forget option will allow the missile to guide itself to the target without a human gunner steering it.

With this and other improvements, the Army plans to keep the TOW family in service into the 2050s. That’s eight decades after its introduction, a lifetime comparable to the Army’s CH-47 Chinook helicopter and the Air Force’s B-52 bomber. In fact, the TOW missile was mandatory equipment for the original version of the Army’s future replacement for the M2 Bradley, the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle. While the service is now rebooting OMFV with all options on the table, Raytheon is still aiming to deliver the next-gen version on the original timeline, 2025-2026.