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To: L,TOWM
">>>>which has a claimed ability to penetrate 1100 to 1200 millimeters of steel armor protected by explosive armor<<<<<

1100 mm of armor, works out to 43 inches and change (at 25.4 mm per inch). I sense some serious POO or Putin in the air here..."

hmm not impossible, the TOW II had the capability of penetrating 52 inches (+) of homogenious steel. That's the extent that I can tell you, the remainder of it is classified information. I was a TOW Critter in the Marines from 1975 to 1991 before I was medically retired. The Soviets had an equally impressive piece of Anti-Tank gear that worked very much like our TOW did. The Sagger however was the one they used most during the time I was in and it sadly lacked in it's targetting ability. Basically a Sagger was fired from a launch point while the gunner sat some distance away. He had to fly the missile into his sights and then match up the target and the missile manually in order to get it on target. Even so for a stationary target they could hit 60 to 80% of the time, moving 40 to 50% of the time (this was a well trained gunner). The TOW and the soviet version operated on quite a bit different level. The Optical Sight of the weapon actually sent signals to an MGS (Missile Guidance System), these signals were interpreted by the MGS which then sent signals down a wire to the missile control surfaces. The Signals told the missile to move left right up or down acccording to where the gunner had his crosshairs. We had a 98% first round hit capability regardless of moving or stationary.

Semper Fi
61 posted on 03/26/2003 2:41:22 PM PST by Leatherneck_MT (Can't stand rude behavior in a man.... Won't tolerate it.)
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To: Leatherneck_MT
TOW II had the capability of penetrating 52 inches (+) of homogenious steel.

No $hi+!!

I been out of the loop too long...Do you know how it is rated against composite and reactive armor?

63 posted on 03/26/2003 3:23:40 PM PST by L,TOWM (Liberals, The Other White Meat)
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