URBAN FIREPOWER FROM TOW LAUNCHERS TODAY
Carlton Meyer
TOW Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) systems are impressive in the anti-tank role, but have little value against other threats. TOW missiles can be fired at regular ground targets, but at $18,000 per missile, they are too valuable to waste on most infantry targets. Firing TOW missiles during firefights with infantry is also dangerous since the gunner must remain stationary to guide the slow missile for up to 20 seconds after its large backblast reveals his location. The TOW takes at least 65 meters to arm and a couple hundred meters for the gunner to reaquire control after initial firing, making them unable to point/shoot at close-range urban targets. Since today's Soldiers will encounter infantry far more often than tanks, inexpensive 150mm rockets are the answer.
Simple 150mm 50 lbs rockets would allow TOWs to be used in the same way the U.S. Army once employed 106mm recoilless rifles mounted on jeeps. The TOW has excellent optical and forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) sights which enable it to accurately fire unguided munitions. If enemy infantry is dug into concealed defensive positions, a battalion can send up its HMMWV-TOWs, or Bradley’s M901 ITVs or LAV-ATs and blast away with direct fire. During firefights, TOW gunners could shoot a rocket and immediately scoot into a protected position to avoid enemy counterfire.
Since rockets would not be attached to the launcher with wire, crews would be able to rapidly reload TOW tubes. TOW rockets would carry blast/fragmentation HE warheads, which are more effective against infantry than shaped anti-armor HE warheads. In addition, a rocket can carry a much larger HE warhead in place of the electronics and guidance components needed for TOW missiles.
Hughes/Ratheon Missile Systems, which currently manufactures the advanced TOW-2B missiles, should be able to produce "dumb" rockets for around $500 each. However, Hughes may not be interested in producing low-cost/low-profit munitions. Fortunately, there are a dozen manufacturers in the USA which can manufacture 150mm rockets. Lockheed-Martin currently manufactures an assortment of 70mm "Hydra" rockets for use by aircraft; producing 150mm rockets should easy. Competition to produce 150mm rockets would drive the price down even lower, especially with the potential for sales to foreign TOW customers.
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21st Century Weaponry
E-mail May 1998
