TOW
Military abbreviation · Weapon and Military Equipment
| Stands for | Tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missile |
|---|---|
| Categories | Military |
TOW stands for Tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missile, a weapon and military equipment abbreviation.
BGM-71 anti-tank guided missile, fired from tripods, vehicles and helicopters, which receives steering commands through thin wires unspooling behind it. It has been in US service since 1970.
Example: The Bradley crew destroyed the enemy tank with a TOW at 3,000 meters.
Usage notes
TOW has been produced in hundreds of thousands and exported widely, and it saw early combat in Vietnam in 1972. Later versions use wireless guidance. Pronounced "toe." The Javelin has replaced it in many infantry units.
Related abbreviations
More weapon and military equipment abbreviations
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- AAV – Assault Amphibious Vehicle
- ACOG – Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight
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- AH – Attack helicopter
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- AMRAAM – Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile
- APC – Armored personnel carrier
- APFSDS – Armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot
- AR-15 – ArmaLite Rifle, model 15
- ATACMS – Army Tactical Missile System