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From: gronk!johnl@uunet.UU.NET (John Limpert)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: TOW performance in Desert Shield
Message-ID: <1991Jan18.004940.9538@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 18 Jan 91 00:49:40 GMT
References: <1991Jan16.014205.10919@cbnews.att.com>
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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.