The exact number of missiles ordered has not been disclosed. RTX’s current production capacity for the TOW system allows for up to 10,000 missiles per year.
So far, more than 700,000 units of the TOW missile have been manufactured by RTX since the start of the programme, with over 11,000 used in actual combat operations worldwide. One of the key areas of current use is Ukraine, where the United States has delivered around 13,000 TOW missiles under its military assistance programme.
The missiles in Ukraine are deployed from M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and wheeled tank destroyers based on HMMWV multi-purpose vehicles. It is also possible that the US has supplied portable launchers to Ukraine, although this has not been confirmed.
The latest order may be intended to replenish the US military’s stockpiles, which could have been affected by recent deliveries abroad. In addition, the TOW 2B remains a widely exported system under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) procedure and is used on various platforms including the M2 Bradley, HMMWV, M1134-configured Stryker vehicles, and other local variants.
