TOW Missiles And "Stings"

From: Winget, Adrian JTFCS5G (winget@jwfc.jfcom.mil)
Date: Wed Aug 01 2001 - 09:16:59 PDT


Well the list flared up really well there, but a little OFF topic.
First I want to side with Law Enforcement, as I would have no need to fear
someone kicking in my door unless they were intent on harming my family. .
Police around me don't have this problem, but I do realize mistakes can and
do happen. I just fail to live a paranoid lifestyle and answer the door.

As to a "sting" with a TOW Missile round, let me present some information.
The TOW missile is a solid rocket propelled system. It is guided by the
electronics through the Missile Guidance system. Without a CREW of
technicians, and a fully functioning guidance system, the computer will not
will not communicate with the missile through the Optics.
If you "Did" convince a missile to launch out of it's housing, it would ask
for directions, and chase itself in a circle as long as the fuel burned,
crashing somewhere, hopefully in front of you.....

The TOW Missile has two main configurations as with MANY other ordinance
items. Training practice (NO explosive warhead) and Service Round
(Containing explosive)

With the training practice round, you have a large bottle rocket (watch
"Junk Yard Wars" on TLC, the booster motor is just about that size) Both
motors are made of Solid rocket fuel, which is highly flammable, and needs
to be treated just like the black powder I shoot in Cannon (Also legal to
own in the US....) To render it inert requires effort, but is not beyond
simple techniques. (No, not attaching two of them to the sides of the car
and lighting with fuzes either)
Point is, Same stuff model rocket hobbyists deal with daily (and get hurt
with if not done safely)

Having a TOW missile is similar to having a rifle cartridge without a rifle
to fire it from. Without the systems computer "Guts" and electronic optics,
the round is useless.

ATF rules allow up to a 1 ounce charge (no larger) in projectiles for
marking, etc. If there was a warhead in the TOW Training Practice, these
would THEN be a restricted item, subject to BATF regulations, and may indeed
be in there hiding somewhere already.

It is my reasoning, that missiles could come out through DRMO, as many items
do (an example you can buy propellant and smokeless powder from dealers that
have purchased it surplus)
As the TOW system uses wires for guidance (Missile asks where it should be,
electronics through the optics tell it to move there) These wires can (and
all to often are) cut by the crew as they load and unload the missile from
the launcher. (They "cut" the wire without ever firing) As such, the
missile is worthless, and gets turned in to the ammo point again. Now in
theory these should have a technician come out, repair the piece, and return
them to service, but that doesn't always happen.

So "What if" they were sold off surplus? Like I said, you need a launcher
(certain specs such as merely painting the inside of the launch barrel can
render it non mission capable, and so much fiberglass junk) You also need
the optics (with the electronic guts) and you need the Guidance computer box
(again with internal electronics) and finally the umbilical cables to
connect everything (with no associated problems in these)
 Now you get a missile in a fiberglass tube, then what? Figure which of the
connections at the top will tell the motor to launch, and add to this MANY
other constraints (the missile and computer do a self-test before it will
fire) BOTTOM LINE: It's a glorified (expensive) bottle rocket without a
stick.

I don't see a Sting operation concept here, SORRY!. No more than the
collector with the NIKE Ajax missile would think of trying to obtain all the
associated parts for launching one of those, even though he owns the truck
and a missile. (By the way, the truck just carried it to the launch point,
not fired it off)

So as far as the paranoia goes, forgive me if I release my name again, and
state merely that if I did end up with one of the missiles, it would be
rendered safe, and placed on a rack for display with the weapon system.

 (I failed to mention releasing the pressure cylinders inside the missile
that turn the fins. I think these were something around 60,000 PSI, more of
a hazard in my view than the propellant)

Regards Adrian Winget

Still looking for TOW Optics and associated pieces for the historical
preservation and display of this system (Sold to over 40 countries so
far.....)



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