Raytheon awarded $349 million US Army contract for TOW missiles

cobra commando

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Multi-year contract will fund wireless precision-assault capability

TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) received a $349 million five-year, multi-year contract to provide heavy anti-tank, wireless precision-assault missiles for the U.S. government. Raytheon received the award during its third quarter.

Under this contract, Raytheon will deliver 6,676 of the new wireless TOW (tube-launched, optically tracked, wireless-guided) missiles that receive commands from the gunner through a wireless guidance link, eliminating the wire connection in early generations of the missile.

"TOW has been one of the most fired weapons in history, and the upgrade to wireless gives our warfighters an improved capability," said Michelle Lohmeier, vice president of Land Combat for Raytheon Missile Systems. "With this contract, we are partnering with the U.S. Army to ensure our warfighters continue to have this life-saving weapon for years to come."

With the wireless system built into the missile and the missile case, the next-generation TOW works with existing launch platforms, including the Improved Target Acquisition System, Improved Bradley Acquisition System, TOW2 Subsystem and M220 Ground TOW. The system performs exactly like the wire-guided version, enabling soldiers and Marines to continue using the proven weapon without changing tactics or incurring additional training.

"TOW remains the U.S. Army and Marine Corps' primary heavy anti-tank and precision-assault weapon," said Scott Speet, Raytheon Missile Systems' TOW program director. "It is currently deployed on more than 4,000 TOW launch platforms including the Army Stryker, Bradley Fighting Vehicle System and High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle."

About TOW

The tube-launched, optically-tracked, wireless-guided (TOW) weapon system, with the multimission TOW 2A, TOW 2B, TOW 2B Aero and TOW Bunker Buster missiles, is the premier long-range, precision anti-armor, anti-fortification and anti-amphibious landing weapon system used throughout the world today. TOW is in service in more than 40 international armed forces and integrated on more than 15,000 ground, vehicle and helicopter platforms worldwide. The TOW weapon system is expected to be in service with the U.S. military beyond 2025. December 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the TOW Missile Program, with more than 650,000 missiles produced.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2011 sales of $25 billion and 71,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 90 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at Raytheon Company: Customer Success Is Our Mission and follow us on Twitter @raytheon.

[video=youtube_share;QUMxZ34Ptco]http://youtu.be/QUMxZ34Ptco[/video]

Raytheon awarded $349 million US Army contract for TOW missiles - Oct 8, 2012
 

drkrn

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pls watch the video at 54 seconds.the missile blasted well above the tank. ok the top of the tank got damaged.after few seconds the tank seems to be blasted apart from inside.
how come a bomb exploding above can make a tank blow out from inside?
can some one explain this
 

W.G.Ewald

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pls watch the video at 54 seconds.the missile blasted well above the tank. ok the top of the tank got damaged.after few seconds the tank seems to be blasted apart from inside.
how come a bomb exploding above can make a tank blow out from inside?
can some one explain this
If you watch the video on Youtube, comments 3 and 4 and others explain what you see.

E.g.:

Just found that the TOW 2B Aero has shaped charges that point downward when the missile is parallel to the ground, so the video is not suspect. It's just a new missile. The shaped charges penetrate the turret armor (first explosion) and a secondary explosion that is much larger happens when the ammo is detonated.
 

Damian

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Video do not show the actuall ammunition deflagration. Ammunition deflagration process is very much different, the tank was just filled with C4 or some similiar explosive, not ammunition.

This is how ammunition deflagrates (or gets cook off).


It is however truth that cook off will imidietaly kill the crew, and after some time can blow turret off the hull or even blow the tank in to pieces in extreme cases. Something completely normal for tanks without isolated ammunition compartments with blow off panels (they act like vents, explanation for unfamiliraized people).
 
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asianobserve

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That's not as TOW missile in the video, it's the video of a Javeline missile. Later on it was found out that the T-72 was packed with explosives for more dramatic effects.
 

methos

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That's not as TOW missile in the video, it's the video of a Javeline missile. Later on it was found out that the T-72 was packed with explosives for more dramatic effects.
No, it is a new TOW version. Javelin does not detonate above the roof, but instead hits the roof directly.
 

Nathanmarcus

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Raytheon to develop next-generation radars for US Army

Raytheon has received a $1.1m grant from the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) to provide next-generation gallium nitride (GaN) technology for military radars. The alliance plans to develop scalable, agile, multimode, front end technology (SAMFET) for the army's next-generation radar (NGR) programme.

The programme aims to improve radar-reliant air defence, counter rocket and mortar system performance, particularly in portable configurations such as hand-held, vehicle-mounted and airborne deployments. Under the two-year cooperative research agreement, the partners will design and manufacture modular building blocks that can easily integrate with next-generation radar systems' open architecture.

Raytheon advanced technology vice-president Colin Whelan said: "Raytheon's storied track record of innovation in applied radar technologies uniquely positions us to play a critical role in the development of the US Army's next-generation radar system. "With the (United States) Army Research Lab, our team will leverage Raytheon's deep investment and unmatched expertise as a pioneer in gallium nitride technology to dramatically improve radar capabilities and keep the army ahead of its adversaries for many years to come."


 

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