Procurement: Canada Gets Big Bunker Busters

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November 27, 2007: Canada is buying 462 American TOW missiles. Not the anti-tank version, but the increasingly more popular "bunker buster" BGM-71E TOW 2A. This model of the 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. Canada is buying the wireless version (that uses a radio signal for guidance, not the thin wire). These will cost about $37,000 each and are usually operated from an armored vehicle or light truck.

 

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