The US Army has awarded Raytheon a $193.7 million contract modification to continue producing TOW anti-armor missiles at its Tucson, Arizona, facility. The move underscores the Army's sustained demand for heavy anti-armor weapons and its long-term investment in proven ground combat capabilities.
On January 27, 2026, the US Army announced a $193.7 million contract modification awarded to Raytheon for the continued procurement of Tube-launched Optically Tracked Wireless-Guided, or TOW, missiles. According to the Army, the award supports ongoing missile production at Raytheon’s Tucson, Arizona, facility, with work scheduled to continue through September 30, 2028. Funding obligated at the time of award includes fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025 other procurement, Army appropriations, signaling consistent demand across multiple budget cycles. The Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is serving as the contracting activity.
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The latest award underscores the enduring operational value of the TOW missile system within U.S. Army and allied ground forces. Despite its origins during the Cold War, TOW remains a frontline anti-armor weapon thanks to incremental upgrades that have preserved its relevance against modern armored threats. For commanders and crews, the system continues to offer a combination of reach, precision, and reliability that complements newer fire-and-forget missiles rather than competing with them.
The TOW system is tube-launched and semi-automatically guided by the operator, who keeps the sight on the target while the launcher and missile manage the guidance corrections. Historically, the command link relied on wire guidance, but later variants introduced a radio frequency guidance link to support platforms that require greater range and flexibility. What matters operationally is that TOW remains a command-to-line-of-sight system. It does not rely on GPS or satellite links. In environments where electronic warfare, jamming, and GPS spoofing are routine, that attribute has become increasingly valuable. As long as the gunner can see the target, the missile can be guided to impact.
The Improved Target Acquisition System, commonly known as ITAS, further enhances the system’s effectiveness. ITAS integrates thermal imaging, a laser rangefinder, and a digital fire control computer, giving crews reliable day-and-night engagement capability in complex terrain. Engagement ranges are typically around 3.75 kilometers for standard missiles and extend beyond four kilometers for the longer Aero variants, allowing TOW teams to dominate avenues of approach well outside the effective range of most shoulder-fired systems.
Among the most important variants supported under current production is the TOW 2B. Instead of driving a shaped charge directly into armor, the missile flies a programmed profile over the target and detonates a pair of explosively formed penetrators downward. This top-attack geometry is designed to exploit the thinner roof armor of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, a vulnerability that remains relevant even on modern platforms equipped with heavy frontal protection.
The Obsolescence and Safety update referenced in recent TOW awards plays a critical role in keeping the missile viable for long-term service. Weapon systems of this age inevitably accumulate legacy electronic components and energetic materials that are no longer manufactured or no longer meet modern safety standards. OSA packages replace aging parts, update materials, and align production with current safety and handling requirements. Just as importantly, they stabilize the supply chain, allowing Raytheon’s Tucson production line to maintain a predictable manufacturing rhythm rather than lurching between short-term buys.
The TOW system remains highly flexible. Dismounted infantry teams can carry the tripod launcher and a limited number of missiles to control streets, chokepoints, or ridgelines. Vehicle crews on Bradley fighting vehicles, JLTV-based configurations, and legacy HMMWVs operate integrated launchers that can remain in overwatch for extended periods without revealing their position. When fired, a single TOW shot can force armored vehicles to slow, button up, reroute, or withdraw entirely. In urban combat, bunker-buster members of the TOW family remain effective against fortified positions behind masonry, even as the 2B variant is optimized for armor defeat. Reloads are manual and deliberate, which is why TOW teams typically operate in pairs or under covering fire, but combat footage from recent conflicts continues to show the system’s resilience against countermeasures that can degrade the performance of fire-and-forget seekers.
The new award signals that the U.S. Army is not ready to relinquish the heavy, long-range, command-guided anti-armor mission. While newer missile concepts and loitering munitions are under development, TOW remains a proven, industrially mature solution that can be produced at scale and integrated across a wide range of platforms. Continued investment also reflects the need to replenish U.S. and allied inventories following years of high operational tempo and overseas transfers.
Beyond replenishment and industrial continuity, the scale of this investment reflects a hard operational truth reinforced by recent conflicts: anti-tank guided missiles remain highly relevant on the modern battlefield. From Ukraine to the Middle East, armored vehicles continue to shape ground maneuver, and armies still need a reliable way to stop, channel, or destroy them at tactically meaningful ranges. Anti-tank missiles provide a combination of precision, lethality, and immediate availability that few other systems can match. Fired from concealed positions by infantry teams or vehicle crews, they impose caution on armored formations, forcing adversaries to slow down, disperse, or alter routes under the constant threat of a single well-placed shot.
Just as importantly, command-guided anti-tank systems retain a structural advantage in contested electromagnetic environments. As electronic warfare, jamming, and GPS denial become routine, weapons that do not depend on satellite navigation or complex data links gain renewed value. Systems like TOW allow crews to engage as long as the target remains in sight, maintaining control over the shot even in noisy and degraded conditions. This resilience helps explain why the U.S. Army continues to invest in heavy anti-armor missiles alongside drones and fire-and-forget weapons: anti-tank guided missiles are not a legacy holdover, but a complementary and enduring pillar of ground combat power.
