Which method guides the BGM-71 TOW Missile?

Which method guides the BGM-71 TOW Missile?

• A. Laser-guided
• B. Wire-guided
• C. Inertial-guided
• D. Radar-guided

Answer: (B)

The main idea tested is how a missile receives steering commands during flight. The BGM-71 TOW is designed to be guided by a wire that unspools from the missile as it travels. The operator keeps the target in sight and uses the launcher controls; those inputs are sent through the thin wire back to the missile, which adjusts its fins to steer toward the target. This through-wire, or wire-guided, setup is built into the name of the system: Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided. Laser-guided, inertial-guided, and radar-guided systems rely on onboard or external sensors to locate or track the target, rather than receiving real-time steering commands from the launcher. Since the TOW uses a wire to convey guidance commands from the launcher, it is correctly described as wire-guided.

The main idea tested is how a missile receives steering commands during flight. The BGM-71 TOW is designed to be guided by a wire that unspools from the missile as it travels. The operator keeps the target in sight and uses the launcher controls; those inputs are sent through the thin wire back to the missile, which adjusts its fins to steer toward the target. This through-wire, or wire-guided, setup is built into the name of the system: Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided.

Laser-guided, inertial-guided, and radar-guided systems rely on onboard or external sensors to locate or track the target, rather than receiving real-time steering commands from the launcher. Since the TOW uses a wire to convey guidance commands from the launcher, it is correctly described as wire-guided.