The rhk111 Military and Arms Page: The TOW 2A Bunker Buster Missiles of the Philippines

A TOW 2A Bunker Buster Missile, Image by the James Madison University (JMU)

In November 2020, the United States (US) Government under the Administration of President Donald Trump donated over Usd 18 million worth of Weapons to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Among the Weapons included in the transfer were 100 units of Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wireless-guided - 2A Bunker Buster (TOW 2A BB) Missiles and 12 units of M41 Improved Target Acquisition System (ITAS) Missile Launchers.¹

No indication was given to which Units these will be provided to, but the M41 ITAS can be used on the Ground or mounted on Vehicles, hence they will likely be assigned to Philippine Infantry Forces.

If so, then these will be the very first Guided Missiles used by Philippine Infantry Forces ever and thus is a major leap in their capability.

The AH-1 Cobra Attack Helicopters that Jordan donated to the Philippines were revealed to have at least two TOW Launchers also, so they could also use the Missiles if needed.²

‘The TOW Missile’³ ⁴

The TOW is an Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) System now made by the American Company Raytheon Missiles & Defense. It first entered service with the US Army 50 Years or half a Century ago in 1970 where it was given the designation BGM-71.

Since then it has become one of the most widely used ATGMs in the World serving in at least 36 Countries. As of 2019 around 700,000 TOW Missiles have been produced.

Some of the Countries that used it have already replaced it from their Inventory, but the US Armed Forces intends to keep using theirs until 2050.

‘SACLOS’⁵

The Missile operates on a type of Guidance System that’s called Semi-Automatic Command Line of Sight (SACLOS) which operates something like this: There is an Infra-Red (IR) Lamp at the rear of the Missile that is activated after launch.

A Tracking Sensor on the Launcher detects that Lamp and then compares its position to where the Reticle of the Optical Sight is aimed at. It then sends Signals to the Missile to guide it to at the same point as the Reticle. The Reticle has to be kept on the Target until the moment of impact for a successful hit.

The Signal from the Tracker to the Missile used to be conveyed by a Wire that trails behind after launch, hence the initial name of the System was Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided. However, in 2009 Production shifted to the use of Wireless Radio Frequency (RF) Signal so the word “Wire” was replaced with “Wireless”.

‘Version Confusion’

I was initially confused about the TOW Missile version that the US donated because in his Speech during the turnover of the Weapons, US National Security Adviser (NSA) Robert O’Brien mentioned that they were providing the “TOW 2 Alpha” Missile,⁶ but the News Reports were saying it was the “TOW 2A Bunker Buster” version.

Now if you look at the TOW Products on the official Raytheon Website, they list the “TOW 2A” and a “TOW Bunker Buster” version there, but not the “TOW 2A Bunker Buster”.⁷ However, a number of Sources including the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) does mention the TOW 2A BB with the designation BGM-71H-1RF.⁸

‘TOW 2A BB’

The TOW 2A Missile Version was first introduced in the late 1980s and designated in the US Armed Forces as the BGM-71E. Back then it still used Wires, but as mentioned above around 2009 Production was shifted to a Wireless Version.

Around this time the TOW 2A BB was also introduced, and its difference from the TOW 2A is that its Warhead is optimized for use against Urban Targets and Field Fortifications.

In terms of appearance it is differentiated from most other TOW Missiles as it doesn’t have an Extendible Probe on its Warhead, it has flat Warhead instead.

A US Government Briefing Document released in 2014⁹ gives it a range of 4.2 km, longer than the 3.75 km range of the TOW 2A. Its Warhead also reportedly can penetrate up to 20 cm thick Reinforced Concrete Walls.

‘ITAS’

The M41 ITAS Launcher first entered US Armed Forces Service around 1998, and a Field Manual released in 2005¹⁰ gives its major components as the following:

- Target Acquisition System (TAS)
- Fire Control System (FCS)
- Battery Power Source (BPS)
- Traversing Unit (TU)
- Launch Tube and Tripod
- A Modification Kit for installation on High-mobility, Multipurpose, Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV)

The TAS contains an Electro-Optical (EO) Device that allows it to be used during the Day or Night with 4x to 24x Magnification. It also contains the Laser Range Finder (LSF) which gives accurate information of the distance of the Target, and the Sensor that tracks the Missile.

The FCS contains the Computer which gathers all the information from the TAS and makes the necessary calculations to guide the Missile during its flight.

The BPS allows the M41 to operate for at least 10 hours using it, and it needs to be charged by around 20 hours for a full charge. When attached to a Vehicle’s Power Source, it regulates the incoming Electrical Power to provide the correct Power input into the System.

The Launch Tube is where the Missile Canister is inserted to while the TU is the Base that allows the TAS and Launch Tube to be rotated horizontally and/or vertically. The Tripod is where the TU is attached to and allows the entire System to have a stable Base on the Ground.

Because of the advanced features of its TAS, the M41 can also be used for Surveillance and Reconnaissance if necessary.

‘Accuracy’

I think one reason for the TOW’s longevity is its accuracy. Even during its Prototype Stage, it was already showing an accuracy of 0.5 m Circular Error Probable (CEP).¹¹

CEP means the Radius of a Circle where half of the Projectiles (like Missiles) are expected to hit. The smaller the CEP is, the more accurate the Missile is.¹²

A Study later in the late 1970s of TOW Missiles in production then showed that even when fired from a Moving Helicopter, its CEP still stayed around 0.5 m CEP.¹³

One illustration of its accuracy was in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm when Saudi Forces took out the Ladder of a Water Tank with a TOW Missile, stranding the Iraqi Forces that were positioned on top of the Tank and forcing them to eventually surrender.

‘Combat Record’

Since the TOW has been around for a long time and used by many Countries, it has had a long and solid Record in Combat where it has been used effectively against all sorts of Targets such as different types of Vehicles, Artillery, Machine Gun / Mortar Positions, Houses and even Helicopters.

It was first used in Combat in 1972 during the Vietnam War and has the distinction of being the very first American made Missile to be fired by Americans in an actual War. After the Vietnam War, the TOW saw action in at least half a dozen Wars in the Middle East and Africa, the latest of which is the Syrian Civil War which is still going as of now.

As of 2014, 10,900 TOW Missiles have been used in Combat. That same Year though, the US started supplying the Syrian Rebel Forces with Weapons and Equipment including TOW 2A Missiles under the Timber Sycamore Program.

For the next three Years until 2017 when the Program was terminated, based on the Data from the bellingcat Website¹⁴ the TOW 2A became the most widely used ATGM by the Syrian Rebels, launching approximately over around a thousand Missiles.

76% of those launches reportedly hit their Target, 16.5% with unclear result, 6.5% Missed and 1% failed to launch, which I think is pretty good Statistics since these are under actual Combat Conditions.

‘Actual Combat Videos’

The use of the TOW Missiles in the Syrian Civil War is unique in that the Americans insisted that a Video be taken on all launches against Targets as Proof that the Missiles really had been used before they are replaced. As an indirect result, many of these Videos eventually ended up on Youtube.

Here is a nice compilation of TOW 2A Missile Launches against Targets in 2015. In almost all of the Clips, you can actually see the Missile flying towards the Target:

Battles in Syria - BGM - 71 TOW Best Shots 2015 Compilation by kris nowak

‘Old Design’

My only sort of issue about the TOW System is that since it is an old design (remember it first entered Service in 1970), it is heavier and bulkier than newer, more modern designs.

For example, an M41 with a TOW 2A Missile weighs approximately around 111 kg, compared to, say, Russia’s 9K135 Kornet¹⁵ (used also in the Syrian Civil War) which is much lighter at around 66 kg.

The Kornet’s Missile also has a longer Range of 5 km versus only 4.2 km on the TOW 2A BB. I initially thought that because of its weight and bulk, it would more ideal to have the ITAS mounted on a Vehicle.

However, Syrian Rebels were almost always seen using it dismounted or on the Ground, using Vehicles just to transport the Weapon rather than use them as Platforms. I think this is because dismounted Launchers gives a smaller and lower profile, and it is also much easier to position it behind cover than if it was mounted on a Vehicle.

‘Parting Shot’

Despite its old design, I think the TOW 2A BB is an excellent first ATGM to be used by our Infantry Forces. It is accurate, reliable and very much combat proven. Having these in our Inventory truly pushes our Infantry Forces into the Modern Age.

TOW Missiles reportedly have Shelf Lives of 20 Years, so assuming the ones that were donated to us were manufactured recently, then they are good until no more than 2040. Ideally they should be all used up in combat and/or Training by that time.

If not then then the remaining ones will need to be refurbished if they are to be used beyond that time.