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Missile

United States

Raytheon (RTX)

BGM-71 TOW

A wire- and radio-guided, tube-launched anti-tank missile that has been in continuous production for over five decades and remains one of the most widely fielded ATGMs in the world. It is carried by vehicles, helicopters and dismounted crews across dozens of allied militaries.

In service since 1970 · 45 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km range

0.7

Mach

kg warhead

💲 ≈ $95,000, TOW 2A and 2B missile rounds have cost roughly $90,000 to $135,000 each in recent U.S. Army production lots, based on a 2021 sourced unit cost of $93,640 for the TOW 2B Aero variant and a 2025 Raytheon full-rate production contract whose value implies about $135,700 per missile. Figure is missile only and excludes the launcher.

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

US ITAR-controlled

Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.

Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale

Fielded & proven

Widely fielded · 45 operators

In service since 1970. Status: active · ~700,000 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

Unit cost known; one-shot / small-arms class has no meaningful O&S tail to model.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.	0.7 Mach Bottom 9% of missiles
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.	5 km Bottom 5% of missiles

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.	6 kg Bottom 10% of missiles
Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.	Tandem-charge HEAT
Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.	Wire-guided SACLOS, Wireless RF-guided (TOW 2B/Aero)

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	1.17 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.	23 kg

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion specifications
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…	Solid-fuel rocket

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.	$95,000 Top 5% of missiles
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	700,000 Top 2% of missiles
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	45 Top 1% of missiles

Specifications compiled from public Raytheon (RTX) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

Compare with rivals

See how it stacks up

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BGM-71 TOW AGM-86 ALCM

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Missile

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Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow

View AIM-7 Sparrow ↗

Missile

BGM-71 TOW AGM-88E AARGM

Northrop Grumman AGM-88E AARGM

View AGM-88E AARGM ↗

Frequently asked questions

What is the range of the Raytheon (RTX) BGM-71 TOW? +

The Raytheon (RTX) BGM-71 TOW has a maximum range of 5 km.

How much does the Raytheon (RTX) BGM-71 TOW weigh? +

The Raytheon (RTX) BGM-71 TOW has a combat weight of 23 kg.

What is the Raytheon (RTX) BGM-71 TOW used for? +

The Raytheon (RTX) BGM-71 TOW is a missile typically used for anti armor.

How many countries operate the Raytheon (RTX) BGM-71 TOW? +

The Raytheon (RTX) BGM-71 TOW is operated by 45 countries.

How much does the Raytheon (RTX) BGM-71 TOW cost? +

The Raytheon (RTX) BGM-71 TOW has an approximate unit cost of 95,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.