2001 War in Afghanistan

BGM-71 TOW in the 2001 War in Afghanistan

U.S. Army units used BGM-71 TOW missiles and ITAS fire-control systems in Afghanistan, including bunker-buster rounds and long-range surveillance/fire-support roles during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Weapon profileBGM-71 TOW
SideUnited States, NATO, and Afghan government forcesRoleFire SupportForce ProtectionReconnaissance & Surveillance
BGM-71 TOW, Heavy anti-tank guided missile, Infantry Weapons - 2001 War in Afghanistan
Image source: File:BGM-71 TOW fired.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
U.S. Army units fielded TOW ITAS/ITAS-FTL systems across multiple Afghanistan locations in 2009.

Sources: TOW System Upgrade Goes To Troops In Afghanistan

The TOW bunker-buster missile arrived in Afghanistan and was successfully used in enemy engagements.

Sources: TOW System Upgrade Goes To Troops In Afghanistan

During a 10th Mountain Division deployment to Afghanistan in 2009, more than 2,000 TOW missiles were fired.

Sources: Soldier Experience Aims At Missile Success

A TOW/ITAS-equipped up-armored HMMWV was part of U.S. direct-fire support planning for the July 2008 COP Kahler mission.

Sources: Wanat Combat Action In Afghanistan

A U.S. Army public-domain photograph documents an M220/SABER TOW system in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on May 9, 2009.

Sources: Afghanistan TOW Image

Timeline

BGM-71 TOW In 2001 War in Afghanistan

  1. TOW/ITAS support planned for COP Kahler mission

    Army historical analysis of Wanat recorded an up-armored HMMWV with TOW missile and ITAS among the supporting assets arranged for the July 2008 COP Kahler mission in Nuristan.

    Sources: Wanat Combat Action In Afghanistan

  2. ITAS-FTL fielding completed for another brigade

    A Redstone Arsenal fielding team completed additional Afghanistan ITAS-FTL fielding in May 2009; the Army said 92 systems were fielded in all.

    Sources: TOW System Upgrade Goes To Troops In Afghanistan

  3. Army reports TOW bunker-buster combat use in Afghanistan

    The Army reported that new TOW bunker-buster missiles had arrived in theater and had been successfully used in enemy engagements in Afghanistan.

    Sources: TOW System Upgrade Goes To Troops In Afghanistan

  4. Army reports more than 2,000 TOW missiles fired in 2009 deployment

    Army reporting on 10th Mountain Division Soldier feedback said more than 2,000 TOW missiles were fired during the division's 2009 Afghanistan deployment.

    Sources: Soldier Experience Aims At Missile Success

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The BGM-71 TOW is documented in the 2001 War in Afghanistan through U.S. Army reporting on Operation Enduring Freedom. A September 2009 Army article described TOW Improved Target Acquisition System fielding to 14 locations along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, with hubs at Bagram, Jalalabad, Forward Operating Base Sharana, and Kandahar airfield.

The same report said the newly available TOW bunker-buster missile had reached theater and had been successfully used in enemy engagements. A later Army article on Soldier feedback reported that, during a 10th Mountain Division deployment to Afghanistan in 2009, more than 2,000 TOW missiles were fired.

Sources: TOW System Upgrade Goes To Troops In Afghanistan, Soldier Experience Aims At Missile Success

Timeline

Before the 2009 surge-period fielding, Army historical work on the Battle of Wanat recorded TOW/ITAS as part of U.S. direct-fire support planning. In July 2008, a company commander arranged an up-armored HMMWV with TOW missile and ITAS among the supporting assets for the COP Kahler mission in Nuristan.

In 2009, Army reporting shows the system moving from deployed support asset to heavily used missile capability in Afghanistan. The Redstone Arsenal fielding team delivered 92 upgraded ITAS-FTL systems to enough units for three infantry brigade combat teams and one battalion, while Soldier feedback from the 10th Mountain Division described large-scale TOW firing and preference for the bunker-buster round.

Sources: Wanat Combat Action In Afghanistan, TOW System Upgrade Goes To Troops In Afghanistan, Soldier Experience Aims At Missile Success

Narrative

In Afghanistan, TOW use was not mainly a tank-fighting story. Army reporting described ITAS as the fire-control system for TOW missiles, usable from Humvees or dismounted tripods, and as a long-range precision direct-fire and surveillance asset for light, airborne, air-assault, and Stryker units. The system let soldiers detect targets at range, engage with TOW missiles when appropriate, or pass target coordinates to close air support and artillery.

The documented target set reflected the counterinsurgency environment. The Army described the TOW bunker-buster warhead as better suited than original anti-tank rounds for Afghanistan targets such as enemy rocket-propelled-grenade teams, mortar and rocket teams, caves, and personnel emplacing improvised explosive devices or delayed rockets. Soldiers interviewed in 2010 described using ITAS to identify and engage enemy fighters in mountainous northeastern Afghanistan, including an 11-hour convoy ambush that ended after soldiers used ITAS night vision during a decisive engagement.

The supported side for this record is United States, NATO, and Afghan government forces. The sources directly identify U.S. Army units and systems in Afghanistan; they do not document Taliban or allied militant use of TOW missiles in this conflict.

Sources: TOW System Upgrade Goes To Troops In Afghanistan, Soldier Experience Aims At Missile Success, Wanat Combat Action In Afghanistan

Images

Conflict Context

U.S. Army soldier using an M220 SABER BGM-71 TOW system at Vehicle Patrol Base Badel in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, in May 2009
U.S. Army Pfc. David Mitchell scans terrain with an M220/SABER BGM-71 TOW system at Vehicle Patrol Base Badel in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, May 9, 2009.

Sources: Afghanistan TOW Image

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Sources