Raytheon has been awarded a contract valued at $676 million to continue the production of the tube-launched, optically-tracked, wireless-guided TOW weapon system for the U.S. Army.
This contract includes an annual production allocation of $430 million for fiscal year 2023 and an additional $246 million for fiscal year 2024.
Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, said that the TOW production line is active, and the company can manufacture up to 10,000 missiles annually
Raytheon is updating the TOW missile system with modernized fuzing and target detection capabilities. These changes were confirmed during the recent Fly-To-Buy lot acceptance tests of the TOW 2B variant. The updated design allows for faster target engagement times, which is important for complex urban operations with varied targets.
Modifications to the missile design and packaging are intended to meet current military environmental standards and address logistical and terrain challenges. This testing milestone indicates that TOW users worldwide will have access to updated weapon systems for deterrence and defense operations.
The TOW system is compatible with various platforms, including the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, Stryker anti-tank guided missile vehicle, and Bradley Fighting Vehicle, as well as light armored vehicles.