US Army awards USD322.5 million anti-tank missile contract

A BGM-71F TOW 2B missile is fired from a US Army 4×4 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle during an exercise at Joint Multinational Training Command in Grafenwoehr, Germany. (US Army)

The US Army selected Raytheon Technologies for a USD322.5 million contract that requires the company to build tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided (TOW) 2B top-attack missiles, according to a 15 August announcement.

The procurement will produce TOW weapons for the army, the US Marine Corps, and international customers with a ceiling of USD400 million. The anti-armour capability is employed on the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV); Stryker Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) vehicles; and Bradley Fighting Vehicles within Infantry, Stryker, and Armored Brigade Combat Teams.

The weapon system uses a one-way radio frequency link that connects the launcher and the missile to guide it to its target automatically, according to the army. This enables the army to destroy armour targets earlier and increase survivability, the service said in the announcement.

The first 2B systems began qualification testing in July 2022, Raytheon told Janes at the time. The missiles will be produced in Tuscon, Arizona, and the contract work is expected to be completed by September 2026.