Furia Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 I will do some research about when thermal imaging became standard on US TOW systems. I think I can save you some time TOW-ITAS Footage made during Operation Iraqui Freedom so I guess it is kind of standard 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugdriver Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I think it has been standard since the early 80's, I was going to try and get some more precise dates. That does not look like training exercise , someone is about to have their day ruined. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furia Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 someone is about to have their day ruined. :question: Who? The pic in question comes from an official Army site, Soldiers from the 101st ABN (AASLT) Divison fire a TOW from an ITAS during Operation Iraqi Freedom US Army Infantry homepage You have to accept the certifcate to watch it. It is footage made during Iraqui Freedom and it is not an excercise. More pictures of the system that didn't existed in US forces :debile2: I think it has been standard since the early 80's, I was going to try and get some more precise dates. Wrong again. Here are "precise dates" The TOW Improved Target Acquisition System low- rate initial production (LRIP) I contract was awarded September 30, 1996, with a production quantity of twenty- five units. LRIP II was awarded March 1998 for a quantity of seventy-three systems for the 1st BDE Fielding in September 1999. First unit equipped (FUE) was conducted in September 1998. You can read it in an "open source" FAS.org 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hackworth Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 i love things the Army never fielded that blew up things in a war cheers Furia! lol. p.s. what big, ugly pos it is though... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dejawolf Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 i love things the Army never fielded that blew up things in a war cheers Furia! lol. p.s. what big, ugly pos it is though... yeah, TOW is extremely heavy, 140kg for the whole system. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaplain Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 http://www.redstone.army.mil/history/systems/TOW.html"1973 The TOW thermal night sight (AN/TAS-4) program began." "November 78 Texas Instruments delivered the first AN/TAS-4 TOW production night sight." "September 79 Deployment of the AN/TAS-4 TOW production night sight began with fieldings to training bases in the continental United States (CONUS) and U.S. Army, Europe (USAREUR)." "January 80 The AN/TAS-4 TOW night sight achieved IOC." "September 80 The first U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) received the TOW night sight." I knew this had been around awhile - my platoon of broken-down M901s had well-worn TOW-II systems with well-worn thermal sights back in 1991. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDevice Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 :question: Who?The pic in question comes from an official Army site, He's referring to the people on the receiving end of the missile.Your dates are for the The TOW Improved Target Acquisition System. TOW has been a thermal-capable system for quite some time.Remember that there have been several upgrade waves to thermal sighting technology. It's not new, and it's certainly not just getting into the units as of OIF. That's just silly. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furia Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I know about the AN/TAS-4 but I knew it as a night vision device more than a "thermal sight".I have never had the chance to take a look through the sight of one of those sight since I am from the Air Force, but as far as I have read the early AN/TAS-4 is more a night sight working with the same principles of the NVG rather than a "thermal" sight that fits more into the FLIR concept.I have used NVG and I am currently flying with a FLIR and they are pretty different systems that work on much different principles. Both can see through the night but while NVG is a Light intensificator, FLIR's uses temperature to define objects.Anyway if I am wrong and the AN/TAS-4 works with the IR temperature signature instead light intensification I would be happy to learn.I do not pretend to be a Tow specialist :biggrin:Said this, I am happy to hear about the proliferation of "thermal sight" TOW so I am sure e-Sim would run to implement them for next patch :debile2: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugdriver Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Furia, the guy who had his day ruined was the one on the receiving end of that TOW Missile, I think you miss-understood me (thanks DrDevice).As for the dates of thermal sight implementation as Chaplain pointed out the TOW has used Thermal Optics since the early 80’s, as I had mentioned in my previous post, so no, I am not wrong. And as DrDevice pointed out, you are talking about ITAS equipped TOW’s which is much more capable than just thermal optics. Now having ITAS equipped TOW vehicles in SB pro would really be cool.JD 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furia Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Furia, the guy who had his day ruined was the one on the receiving end of that TOW Missile, I think you miss-understood me (thanks DrDevice).Seems I clearly missunderstood you :c: sorry.I am also happy to think that since everybody has Thermal sights on TOW launchers E-sims would "inmediately" release an upgrade.LOL this posts have helped me to learn quite bit a bout the TOW and its launching procedures. The ammount of info on the net is just awesome :drink: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Volcano Posted May 20, 2009 Moderators Share Posted May 20, 2009 I am also happy to think that since everybody has Thermal sights on TOW launchers E-sims would "inmediately" release an upgrade. No, it does not work like this. We have priority items to address, and those come first (ie. infantry not shooting from buildings would be a priority item). After the priority items have been addressed, then the other items come next -- in the order of either severity or subjective observation on what has a greater impact, subject to time constraints of course. Since the M966 HMMWV has TIS, but the M113A3 TOW does not, I would not call this an emergency since it has apparently been this way for years, and since the ones who asked for the vehicle (DK) have not said a word about it. Therefore, it is low priority at the moment. Don't worry, it has been reported and filed with everything else. It does no good to keep mentioning it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furia Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 I am also happy to think that since everybody has Thermal sights on TOW launchers E-sims would "inmediately" release an upgrade.Volcano I was just kidding :diable: But I had to said it :debile2::cul:Do not worry I have no intention to bring this subject again :yltype: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Volcano Posted May 20, 2009 Moderators Share Posted May 20, 2009 Volcano I was just kidding :diable: Ahhh, ok. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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