Hell on a Wire - What is a TOW Missile and why is it being sent to Ukraine? (BGM-71 / ITAS)

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TOW stands for Tube launched, Optically Tracked, Wire guided. The missile typically requires a crew of 3 although 4 are normally used if truck mounted.

There is an entire family of missiles, but the average range is roughly 4000 meters. Some missiles are flyover top-attack.

The real heart of the system is the ITAS launcher which is used to see through dust, smoke and fog. Since the missile is wire guided, it has no laser or radar signature other than the launch plume. There is no radar seeker to jam or infra-red seeker to dazzle.

Note: the exploding tanks are from Raytheon test footage.