Close Combat Weapon Systems (CCWS)

MISSILES AND SPACE PROGRAMS The Army’s Integrated Air and Missile De - The ITAS features an automatic bore-sight - fense (IAMD) acquisition approach will en - ing capability, aided target tracking, embed - The Program Executive Office (PEO) sure that the materiel solutions for the ded training, BIT/BYTE and traversing unit Missiles and Space provides centralized Army’s AMD Future Force will provide the modifications. These features ensure crew management for all Army air and missile capabilities required by the warfighter. survivability through increased standoff defense and tactical missile programs as range and improved performance in the well as selected Army space programs. The Close Combat Weapon Systems battlefield environment. PEO is responsible for the full life-cycle (CCWS) The TOW weapon system, with its ex - management of assigned programs. The CCWS Project Office manages a tended-range performance, is the long- The PEO Missiles and Space reports to range of antiarmor missile and target ac - range precision heavy antitank/assault the Army Acquisition Executive and is quisition systems. Current programs in - missile of choice for the U.S. Army’s Stryker, aligned with the Aviation and Missile Life clude the Tube-launched, Optically Tracked, Bradley and ITAS-Humvee platforms, and Cycle Management Command at Redstone Wire-guided (TOW) 2, TOW 2A, TOW 2B, the U.S. Marine Corps’ Humvee, light ar - Arsenal, Ala. This materiel enterprise rela - Javelin, Improved Target Acquisition Sys - mored vehicle and AH-1W Cobra plat - tionship enhances the PEO’s ability to pro - tem (ITAS) and Improved Bradley Acquisi - forms. It also can be operated in a dis - vide the world’s finest support to our tion System (IBAS). mounted ground mode. Army, joint service, interagency, and coali - The BGM-71 TOW missile system , with The TOW weapon system entered its pro - tion warfighters and customers while con - the multimission TOW 2A, TOW 2B, TOW duction and deployment phase in 1970. tinuing the Army’s modernization. 2B Aero and TOW Bunker Buster missiles, Since then, multiple variations of the missile The portfolio of programs assigned to the is a long-range, multimission, precision-at - and launcher systems have been fielded. PEO Missiles and Space spans the full spec - tack weapon system used throughout the The obsolete TOW wire guidance link has trum of the acquisition process from system world. TOW is in service in more than 40 been replaced with a radio frequency (RF) development to acquisition, testing, pro - international armed forces and integrated guidance link that is transparent to both the duction, product improvement, fielding, on more than 15,000 ground, vehicle and gunner and all TOW platforms. All TOW sustainment and eventual retirement from helicopter platforms worldwide. TOW is missile variants with RF guidance link have the force. A number of programs are joint also the preferred heavy assault weapon been qualified, and production of TOW 2B programs developed with the other ser - system for NATO, coalition, United Nations RF, TOW Bunker Buster RF, TOW 2A RF vices. Two programs within the PEO are in - and peacekeeping operations worldwide. and TOW Practice RF missiles is ongoing. ternational cooperative development pro - The TOW 2A, TOW 2B, TOW 2B Aero and The Javelin is a shoulder-launched, fire- grams, with other countries sharing in the TOW Bunker Buster missiles can be fired and-forget, manportable, antiarmor and as - development as full partners. from all TOW launchers, ITAS, Stryker an - sault weapon system optimized for attack - In addition to specific acquisition pro - titank guided missile (ATGM) vehicles ing and destroying armored tank targets, grams, the PEO is applying a system- (modified ITAS), and Bradley fighting ve - buildings, bunkers and hovering heli - of-systems acquisition approach to meet hicles. copters. It replaced the Dragon antiarmor war fighters’ needs and obtain the desired ca - The ITAS includes a second-generation missile system and provides a medium- pabilities of the Army Air and Missile De - forward looking infrared (FLIR) that uses range multipurpose capability for infantry, fense (AMD) Future Force. This approach standard advanced dewar assembly (SADA scouts and combat engineers. The system is requires the systems to be restructured into II) technology and an eye-safe laser range- lethal against tanks with conventional, reac - components of sensors, launchers, missiles, finder. The TOW ITAS provides a highly tive armor and a variety of other targets. and Battle Management Command, Con - mobile, adverse weather, day-or-night capa - Javelin has been used successfully in Iraq trol, Communications, Computers and In - bility needed by early entry forces to de - and Afghanistan to defeat armored targets, telligence (BMC 4I), utilizing a standard set stroy advanced threat armor at greater bunkers and hard-to-reach targets in urban of interfaces and networks to communicate. standoff ranges in the main battle area. terrain without endangering friendly forces or noncombatants. The system has two ma - jor tactical components: a reusable com - mand launch unit (CLU) and a missile sealed in a disposable launch tube assembly. The CLU is a compact, lightweight, tar - get-acquisition device that incorporates an integrated day/second-generation thermal sight, launch controls and a gunner’s eye - piece display. The CLU allows the gunner to select two distinct attack mode trajecto - ries: direct attack or top attack. The CLU provides target engagement capability in ad verse weather and countermeasure envi - ronments. The CLU may also be used in the stand-alone mode for battlefield surveil - lance and target detection and has been ef - fective in Afghanistan and Iraq. The missile is 127 mm in diameter with a staring, imaging infrared seeker; a feature- based tracker; dual shaped-charge war - heads; dual in-line solid-propellant launch and flight motors; and the Javelin launch tube assembly, an expendable carbon fiber launch tube to house the missile and inter - BGM-71 Tube-launched, Optically Tracked, Wire-guided Missile System face with the CLU. The complete round is 304 ARMY I October 2013 described as “wooden,” as it requires no pre-use testing or maintenance. The round FIM-92 Stinger shelf life requirement is 10 years. Manportable Air The Javelin system weighs 49 pounds Defense System and its maximum range is more than 2,500 meters. Javelin’s most important technical feature is the use of fire-and-forget technology that allows the gunner to fire and im- mediately take cover. Additional special features are the top-attack and direct-fire modes (for targets under cover), advanced tandem warhead, imaging infrared seeker, target lock-on before launch and soft launch. Soft launch allows Javelin to be fired safely from enclosures and covered fighting positions, increasing gunner survivability. The time required to prepare Javelin for firing is less than 30 seconds, with a reload time of less than 20 seconds. Radar (TPQ-50), Improved Sentinel Radar manned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles, ro- Cruise Missile Defense Systems (AN/MPQ-64), Stinger-based Systems, and tary-wing aircraft and high-performance (CMDS) Integrated Fire Protection Capability In- fixed-wing aircraft. The CMDS Project Office is the central- crement 2-Intercept (IFPC2-I), a pre-major Stinger provides low-altitude defense for ized manager for the Army’s short- and defense acquisition program (MDAP). ground forces against aerial observation or medium-range air defense systems and Stinger-based Systems, Avenger and the attack by threat aircraft. Stinger missiles counterfires radars. CMDS is equipping the Manportable Air Defense System (MAN- have extensive counter-countermeasure ca- current and Future Force with an integrated PADS) provide forward area air defense. pabilities, can engage targets from any as- air and missile defense and counterfires ca- Stinger is a fire-and-forget infrared/ultravi- pect including head-on, and utilize a high- pability. Programs include Joint Land At- olet (IR/UV) missile system. Avenger is explosive, hit-to-kill warhead. tack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Net- highly mobile and provides shoot-on-the- The AN/MPQ-64 Improved Sentinel ted Sensor System (JLENS), Firefinder move capabilities in day, night and adverse provides 360-degree air surveillance and ac- (TPQ-37), TPQ-53 Radar (which replaces weather operations. Along with Stinger, it is quisition tracking, day or night, in adverse Firefinder), Lightweight Counter Mortar designed to counter hostile, low-flying un- weather conditions and in battlefield envi- October 2013 I ARMY 305 ronments of dust, smoke, aerosols and en - The AN/TPQ-37 (V) Firefinder Radar is a weapon system transported by Army com - emy countermeasures. The Improved Sen - highly mobile counterfire radar designed for mon mobile platforms, with an integrated tinel contributes to the digital battlefield by automatic first-round location of weapons set of capabilities designed to acquire, track, automatically detecting, classifying, identi - firing projectile-type rounds. The system engage and defeat rockets, artillery and fying and reporting cruise missiles, un - operates in a hostile mode by tracking en - mortar projectiles in flight. It will integrate manned aerial systems, and rotary- and emy fire; enemy fire point of origin loca - into the existing air and missile defense ar - fixed-wing threats. The system’s antiradia - tion coordinates are interfaced to a tactical chitecture. tion

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