STOSC::TCOMEAU@SCIVAX.STSCI.EDU (Tom Comeau @ Space Telescope Science Institute) (01/16/91)
From: "STOSC::TCOMEAU"@SCIVAX.STSCI.EDU (Tom Comeau @ Space Telescope Science Institute)
The ABC News Special "A Line in the Sand" contained some interesting
footage of several units and systems likely to be employed in the next
few days.
The servicepeople said many things that encouraged me. They seem sober,
yet determined. One Air Force pilot in particular seemed very aware of
his inexperience, but confident in his training and equipment.
One segment on the Infantry units was very disturbing, however. The
segment centered on footage of TOW missiles being fired against training
targets in the desert. While the first few shots were of successful
hits, the segment went on to discuss, and demonstrate rather
dramatically, the reportedly high failure rate of the TOW system.
In three shots by one TOW crew on a HMMMWV the results were as follows:
1) TOW failed to aquire the target, and flew over it, continuing until
running out of propellant.
2) TOW motor failed to ignite, leaving the crew immobile and exposed
while an EOD team disposed of the weapon.
3) TOW fired, tracked, and destroyed the target.
The NCO in command of the unit indicated one in three hits was not
unusual, and was obviously upset. The infantryman who was actually
operating the weapon was angry and clearly shaken after the "hang fire"
on the second shot. He seemed to realized that, having missed with the
first round and failed to launch the second round, he and all his team
were very likely dead.
Poor performance of weapons systems is nothing new. During WWII
torpedo failures were legendary among submariners. The TOW is widely
used by Army and Marine ground forces, and by Marine attack helicopters.
The first failure may be attributable to desert conditions (high heat,
bright sun, difficult to discriminate the target from the background)
which is understandable. (But of little consolation to the crew.) The
second failure seems clearly either a quality control or maintenance
failure. If these numbers are typical of TOW performance, we will
likely find we have been badly served by the builders fo what is touted
as a reliable, highly effective anti-armor weapon.
TOW is built by:
Hughes Aircraft Company, Missile Systems Group, Canoga Park, CA 91304
Prime Contractor
Emerson Electric Co., Electronics and Space Division, 8100 Florrisant Ave,
St. Louis, Missouri 63136.
Launcher, missile guidance set, optical sight, traversing unit
Kollsman, Military Systems Group.
AN/UAS-12C night vision/thermal imaging system
Texas Instruments Inc., PO Box 660246, Dallas, TX 75266
Infantry Ground Laucher TOW 2 retrofit kits, including digital missile
guidance set and the AN/TAS-4A night sight.
(Source for contractor: Jane's Weapons Systems, 1987-88)fiddler@Eng.Sun.COM (Steve Hix) (01/18/91)
From: fiddler@Eng.Sun.COM (Steve Hix) > From: "STOSC::TCOMEAU"@SCIVAX.STSCI.EDU (Tom Comeau @ Space Telescope Science Institute) > In three shots by one TOW crew on a HMMMWV the results were as follows: > > 1) TOW failed to aquire the target, and flew over it, continuing until > running out of propellant. Tube-launched, *Optically-tracked*, Wire-guided: The TOW didn't fail to acquire the target, the operator failed. > The NCO in command of the unit indicated one in three hits was not > unusual, and was obviously upset. The infantryman who was actually > operating the weapon was angry and clearly shaken after the "hang fire" > on the second shot. He seemed to realized that, having missed with the > first round and failed to launch the second round, he and all his team > were very likely dead. No wonder he was ticked. > If these numbers are typical of TOW performance, we will > likely find we have been badly served by the builders fo what is touted > as a reliable, highly effective anti-armor weapon. Three shots is a pretty small sample to base an evaluation on. Hope it's not representative. Anyone in the Gulf using BILL, btw? -- ------------ The only drawback with morning is that it comes at such an inconvenient time of day. ------------
johnl@uunet.UU.NET (John Limpert) (01/18/91)
From: gronk!johnl@uunet.UU.NET (John Limpert) STOSC::TCOMEAU@SCIVAX.STSCI.EDU (Tom Comeau @ Space Telescope Science Institute) writes: >In three shots by one TOW crew on a HMMMWV the results were as follows: > 1) TOW failed to aquire the target, and flew over it, continuing until > running out of propellant. > 2) TOW motor failed to ignite, leaving the crew immobile and exposed > while an EOD team disposed of the weapon. > 3) TOW fired, tracked, and destroyed the target. A TOW doesn't "acquire" a target, the operator is responsible for keeping the optical sight crosshairs on the target until impact. The launcher's guidance electronics get position error signals from an infrared sensor in the optical sight. The guidance electronics use the error signals to generate steering commands to the missile. The steering commands are sent to the missile through a set of very fine wires that are connected to the tail end of the missile. While the missile is in flight, the guidance electronics constantly try to keep the missile at the intersection of the crosshairs in the optical sight. Jerky movements by the operator can disrupt the control loop and cause the missile to go out of control. When I was in the Army I was a Wire Guided Missile Systems Repairman. I occassionally played with the training simulator. Without proper training and a light touch it is very easy to steer the missile into the ground. And that is _without_ anyone shooting at you.
john@uunet.UU.NET (John A. Weeks III) (01/21/91)
From: newave!john@uunet.UU.NET (John A. Weeks III) >From: gronk!johnl@uunet.UU.NET (John Limpert) > A TOW doesn't "acquire" a target, the operator is responsible for > keeping the optical sight crosshairs on the target until impact. > I occassionally played with the training simulator. Without proper > training and a light touch it is very easy to steer the missile > into the ground. And that is _without_ anyone shooting at you. One of my co-workers was once a TOW trainer in the US Army. He said that the missile tends to do a small spiral around the aim point just after launch as the missile attempts to stabalize itself. First time trainees tend to try to stear the missile much like a video game. The most common result was hitting the ground or losing control of the missile (which tends to fly up and to the left). My co-worker said that their goal was to teach missile operators to keep aiming at the target and let the missile hit your aim point. -john- -- =============================================================================== John A. Weeks III (612) 942-6969 john@newave.mn.org NeWave Communications ...uunet!rosevax!tcnet!wd0gol!newave!john ===============================================================================