Infantry Weapons

M220A4 TOW 2 Launcher

Also known as
  • M220A4 launcher
  • TOW 2 launcher
  • Launcher, Tubular, Guided Missile, M220A4

The M220A4 TOW 2 Launcher is a U.S. HMMWV-mounted ground launcher in the TOW family. It combines traversing units, digital missile-guidance equipment, thermal night sighting, and compatibility with TOW missile configurations for vehicle-based anti-armor fire, while later ITAS packages carried the ground TOW system into a more integrated sighting and target-location architecture.

M220A4 TOW 2 Launcher, TOW 2 missile launcher, Infantry Weapons
Image source: File:Hmmwv-036.jpg
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Mount
HMMWV-mounted launcher
Compatibility
Compatible with all TOW missile configurations
Fire Control
Digital Missile Guidance Set and thermal nightsight
Weight
256.5 lb with traversing units, Missile Guidance Set, thermal nightsight, and carrying cases
Carrier Vehicle

The M220A4 record describes a TOW 2 launcher configured around the HMMWV carrier rather than a stand-alone missile round.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
HMMWV, Light tactical wheeled vehicle, Armored VehiclesHMMWVLight tactical vehicle

Army and Redstone Arsenal references describe ground TOW launch platforms that include HMMWV-mounted systems, with later ITAS packages also used from Humvee and tripod configurations.

Sources: Weapon Systems Book, TOW, TOW System Upgrade Goes To Troops In Afghanistan

Launched Missiles

The M220A4 is a vehicle-mounted TOW 2 launcher built to fire TOW-family missiles from a HMMWV carrier.

Launched itemItem typeLaunch evidence
BGM-71 TOW, Heavy anti-tank guided missile, Infantry WeaponsBGM-71 TOWHeavy anti-tank guided missile

Army budget documentation names the M220A4 TOW 2 Launcher as a TOW carrier and launch platform.

Sources: Army Procurement: Missiles

Launcher And Fire-Control Context

The M220A4 is best read as the HMMWV-mounted launcher and control end of a TOW firing unit, not as a separate missile. Army weapon-system material describes the launcher package with improved traversing units, a digital Missile Guidance Set, and thermal nightsight support, while Redstone Arsenal places HMMWV-mounted launchers inside the wider ground TOW family.

ElementDocumented roleWhy it matters
M220A4 launcherHMMWV-mounted TOW 2 launch platformProvides the mounted launch and guidance interface for TOW-family missiles on a light tactical vehicle.
Missile Guidance Set and nightsightDigital guidance and thermal sighting equipmentSupports target engagement and missile command guidance from the launcher rather than from the missile round alone.
M41 ITASLater ground TOW sighting and fire-control packageArmy reporting describes ITAS as a block upgrade to the M220 ground and HMMWV-mounted TOW 2 system, with Humvee and tripod use.

Sources: Weapon Systems Book; TOW; TOW System Upgrade Goes To Troops In Afghanistan.

Evidence Boundary

Combat reporting often identifies TOW missiles, TOW ITAS, or HMMWV-mounted TOW teams without separating the exact launcher model. For that reason this record keeps the M220A4 as a sourced launcher and carrier component page, while direct conflict-use rows remain on weapon records where sources identify the missile family or a specific fielded system.

Media

M220A4 TOW 2 Launcher Images

M220A4 TOW 2 Launcher, TOW 2 missile launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: File:Humvee-mounted TOW Improved Target Acquisition System (ITAS).jpg
Related Weapon Systems
M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle, Tracked TOW missile carrier vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesM901A1 Improved TOW VehicleTracked TOW missile carrier vehicleThe M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle is a U.S. tracked anti-armor carrier built around an M113-family chassis, an M27 cupola, and a raised twin TOW launcher. United Defense, LP built the vehicle for Army service beginning in the late 1970s, and the M901A1 configuration added TOW 2 compatibility while retaining internal missile stowage and armored reload protection. U.S. Army Redstone history documents M901 ITVs in Operation Desert Storm, where they were credited with confirmed kills during the 1991 ground campaign.
BGM-71 TOW, Heavy anti-tank guided missile, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsBGM-71 TOWHeavy anti-tank guided missileThe BGM-71 TOW is a U.S. heavy anti-tank guided missile built around tube launch, optical tracking, and command guidance through a wire or later radio-frequency link. Developed by Hughes and now produced and upgraded by Raytheon, the family spans dismounted launchers, HMMWVs, Bradley and Stryker vehicles, light armored vehicles, and helicopters. Its record runs from helicopter launches in the Vietnam War through Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Ukrainian service or transfer evidence.
Skif/Stugna-P, Man-portable anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsSkif/Stugna-PMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemSkif, known in Ukrainian service as Stugna-P, is a Ukrainian laser-beam-riding anti-tank guided missile system from State Kyiv Design Bureau Luch. The tripod launcher, guidance unit, thermal imager, and remote-control panel let crews fire from covered positions up to 50 m from the launcher, while RK-2-series 130 mm and 152 mm missiles give infantry and mobile teams a long-range anti-armor weapon in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

Sources

Army Procurement: MissilesPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports the M220A4 TOW 2 Launcher designation, its use as a TOW carrier and launch platform, and the HMMWV-mounted launcher context in Army budget material. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Weapon Systems BookPublisher: U.S. Government Publishing Office | Note: Supports launcher compatibility, the improved traversing units, digital Missile Guidance Set, thermal nightsight, weight, and Raytheon Network Centric Systems Company contractor context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29TOWPublisher: U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal Historical Information | Note: Supports TOW background and the broader launcher family context, including HMMWV and vehicle-mounted launch platforms. | Accessed: 2026-06-29TOW System Upgrade Goes To Troops In AfghanistanPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports the M41 ITAS relationship to the M220 ground and HMMWV-mounted TOW 2 system, Humvee and tripod employment context, and the later ITAS fire-control upgrade path. | Accessed: 2026-06-29File:Hmmwv-036.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing source for the primary HMMWV TOW launcher image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29File:Humvee-mounted TOW Improved Target Acquisition System (ITAS).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing source for the gallery image showing a Humvee-mounted TOW system. | Accessed: 2026-06-29