Tony Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 Call me thick ( most do ) but how does the missile know it's found the target? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUMxZ34Ptco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 The tracking system at base (the firing point) tells it when the target is directly below and triggers detonation. The missile is controlled by a wire which runs back to the firing point for navigation and detonation purposes.Wire guided missiles are old technology now really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 You can see the wires running off the back of the missile in this pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted October 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 The operator must need exceptional eyesight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 The operator uses radar I suspect... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted October 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 Sounds like hard work..... You can't beat a simple laser dot can you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 Laser guided bombs etc. are new tech. TOW missiles are knocking on for 50 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted October 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2014 Do they use a shaped charge? Reason i ask is there's no shock wave going up away from the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted October 27, 2014 Report Share Posted October 27, 2014 I don't know Tony. It does look like a specialist device when you see it in operation, but not sure how they manage to make it happen like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted October 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2014 Well it's very clever seeing as it didn't hit the tank directly and it seems the blast was directed down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liner33 Posted October 27, 2014 Report Share Posted October 27, 2014 Great infantry weapon the TOW , I've been on live firing exercises and seen them fired at tanks and they didnt blow up like that though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted October 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2014 Infantry as in troops? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liner33 Posted October 27, 2014 Report Share Posted October 27, 2014 Yep there is a version that comes in a box with a tripod , very easy to transport Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted October 27, 2014 Report Share Posted October 27, 2014 TOW means Tube launched - Optically aimed - Wire guided. They have been around for long time; there have been a lot of versions and certainly the earlier ones were intended to strike the target directly. So all the operator had to do was centre a graticule on the target and steer the missile (using a joystick of some kind) so that the flare on the back of the missile stays in the centre of the graticule. I worked on Vigilant back in the 60s. It used similar arrangements, but was much smaller than TOW and had a much shorter range. Armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) have had all their vertical faces (where they are normally hit by projectiles) greatly strengthened and carefully shaped to better withstand attack, so some of the later TOWS were modified to attack from above using (I think) two warheads that are fired vertically downwards from the main body of the missile. I assume that the version in the video is one of these. I can't imagine that the operator, who may be more than 3Kmetres away from the target, is required to judge when the missile is over the target. It's much more likely that there is some kind of proximity device incorporated, together with some max/min range limitation to safeguard against triggering above the wrong target. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyelcomb Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Its the ammunition inside the tank that actually blows it apart, kicked off by the initial missile blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liner33 Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 It's a "sales" demonstration though , who knows what the tank was packed with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted October 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Well there's no doubting it's effectiveness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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