Procurement: Egyptians Buy Big Bunker Busters

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November 4, 2007: Egypt is buying 2,000 American TOW missiles. Not the anti-tank version, but the increasingly more popular "bunker buster" BGM-71E TOW 2A. This model of the $50,000 missile has a warhead that is more explosive than armor penetrating. Thus it is excellent for destroying buildings and bunkers. The TOW 2A can still be used against armored vehicles, especially those using reactive armor, but the warhead will not defeat the heaviest tanks. Like all TOW missiles, it has a range of 3,750 meters. Nearly four feet long and 152mm in diameter, the TOW weighs 50 pounds.