Armored Vehicles

M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle

Also known as
  • M901
  • M901 ITV
  • M901A1 ITV
  • M901 Improved TOW Vehicle
  • Improved TOW Vehicle
  • ITV

The 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.

M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle, Tracked TOW missile carrier vehicle, Armored Vehicles
Image source: File:M901 Improved TOW vehicle.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
Tracked TOW missile carrier vehicle
Service note
Late Cold War
Designed
1976-1978
Produced
1978-1990s; export production continued after U.S. Army production ended
Number built
More than 5,500 M901-family systems

Specifications

Crew
4
Base chassis
M113A1/M113A2-family armored personnel carrier chassis
Launcher
M27 'Hammerhead' armored twin TOW launcher with M220A2 TOW 2 fit in M901A1 configuration
Missile load
2 ready missiles plus 10 stowed internally
Aiming equipment
Day sight/tracker and AN/TAS-4A gunner's night sight
Weight
About 13 tons
Mobility
40 mph road speed; 300-mile cruise range; amphibious in calm water
Protection
Aluminum armor against small arms fire and artillery fragments
Variants

M901-family designations mainly separate the original M220A1 TOW fit from the M901A1 TOW 2 launcher upgrade and the later M901A3 automotive upgrade path. This record covers the M901A1 configuration.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
M901Original ITV configuration

Army field-manual material identifies the M901 as the version using the M220A1 TOW launcher before the M901A1 TOW 2 upgrade.

Sources: FM 23-34 Chapter 4 M901-Series ITV

M901A3RISE/M113A3 automotive upgrade

Vehicle references describe the M901A3 as retaining the TOW 2 launcher fit while incorporating M113A3/RISE automotive improvements.

Sources: Improved TOW Vehicle M901A1 | AFV Database, M901 ITV | WeaponSystems.net

Launched Missiles

The M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle is a tracked carrier built to fire TOW-family missiles from an elevated twin launcher.

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 M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle as a TOW carrier and launch platform, while field-manual material ties the M901A1 fit to the M220A2 TOW 2 launcher.

Sources: Army Procurement: Missiles, FM 23-34 Chapter 4 M901-Series ITV

Base Chassis

The vehicle is part of the M113 armored carrier family, with its internal layout adapted for missile stowage and launcher operation.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
M113, Armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesM113Tracked armored carrier family

Army Guide and AFV Database both describe the M901/M901A1 ITV as an M113-family conversion carrying a raised hammerhead TOW launcher and modified internal missile stowage.

Sources: M901 Improved TOW Vehicle | Army Guide, Improved TOW Vehicle M901A1 | AFV Database

Launcher, Chassis, And Missile Fit

The M901A1 is best read as an M113-family tracked carrier adapted around a raised twin TOW launcher, not as a separate missile design. The ITV conversion placed a hammerhead launcher assembly on the commander's M27 cupola, while the M901A1 designation marks the TOW 2-compatible launcher and sighting upgrade path.

Chassis

M113-family tracked carrier; M901 vehicles used M113A1/M113A2-family hulls, while the later M901A3 path followed M113A3/RISE automotive improvements.

Launcher

M901A1 vehicles used the M220A2 TOW 2 launcher fit with associated sighting and guidance equipment mounted in the raised ITV launcher assembly.

Missiles

The M901A1 configuration is documented with TOW 2-series missile compatibility, supporting its relationship to the BGM-71 TOW missile family.

Sources: FM 23-34 Chapter 4 M901-Series ITV; FM 3-22.34 TOW Weapon System; Improved TOW Vehicle M901A1 | AFV Database; M901 ITV | WeaponSystems.net.

Timeline

M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle Key Events

  1. Improved TOW Vehicle enters production service

    Army Guide and collection material place M901 production and service entry in the late 1970s as U.S. mechanized infantry and cavalry units received a protected tracked TOW carrier.

    Sources: M901 Improved TOW Vehicle | Army Guide, M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle | The Littlefield Collection

  2. M901A1 TOW 2 configuration appears

    AFV Database describes the M901A1 designation as the ITV modification for TOW 2-series missiles, paired with an AN/TAS-4A gunner's night-sight upgrade.

    Sources: Improved TOW Vehicle M901A1 | AFV Database

  3. Desert Storm readiness and combat assessment

    U.S. Army Redstone history records MICOM work to raise M901 ITV readiness during Operation Desert Storm and an initial assessment crediting ITVs with at least 14 confirmed kills during the ground campaign.

    Sources: TOW | Redstone Arsenal Historical Information

  4. U.S. service gives way to Bradley TOW carriers

    The Littlefield Collection notes that the M2/M3 Bradley's integral TOW launcher made the M901 series redundant in U.S. service, leading to retirement from U.S. units in the mid-1990s.

    Sources: M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle | The Littlefield Collection

Media

M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle Videos

M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle Images

M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle, Tracked TOW missile carrier vehicle, Armored Vehicles - view 1
Source: File:M901 TOW missile vehicle (1985).JPEG
M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle, Tracked TOW missile carrier vehicle, Armored Vehicles - view 2
Source: File:M901 ITV in Athens on March 25, 2024.jpg
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Sources

Army Procurement: MissilesPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports the M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle designation and its role as a TOW carrier and launch platform in Army budget material. | Accessed: 2026-07-02TOW | Redstone Arsenal Historical InformationPublisher: U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal Historical Information | Note: Supports TOW background and direct 1990 Gulf War M901 ITV use; the chronology records MICOM work on M901 ITV readiness and an initial performance assessment crediting ITVs with confirmed kills during the ground campaign. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Team Redstone's Role in Operation Desert Shield/Desert StormPublisher: U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal Historical Information | Note: Supports 1990 Gulf War operational context by identifying the M-901 ITV among MICOM-supported systems deployed to Southwest Asia and supporting coalition night-fighting capability. | Accessed: 2026-07-02M901 Improved TOW Vehicle | Army GuidePublisher: Army Guide | Note: Supports the M901/M901A1 family description, the M113A1 chassis, launch layout, service history, and production totals. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Improved TOW Vehicle M901A1 | AFV DatabasePublisher: AFV Database | Note: Supports M901A1 armament, sights, mobility, protection, launcher operation, TOW 2 designation change, and the M901A3 automotive upgrade distinction. | Accessed: 2026-07-02FM 23-34 Chapter 4 M901-Series ITVPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: HTML copy of Army field-manual material supporting M901/M901A1 launcher designations, crew, M220A1/M220A2 distinction, ground-mode TOW context, and ITV operating concept. | Accessed: 2026-07-02FM 3-22.34 TOW Weapon SystemPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports M220A1 and M220A2 TOW system configurations, M220A2 modification path, and M220A2 compatibility with the major TOW missile configurations. | Accessed: 2026-07-02M901 ITV | WeaponSystems.netPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports M901-family design, variants, subcomponents, TOW-family missile compatibility, and continued international service context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02M901A1 Improved TOW Vehicle | The Littlefield CollectionPublisher: RM Sotheby's | Note: Supports M901A1 specifications, FMC build context for a preserved vehicle, Emerson hammerhead launcher development, production timing, and U.S. retirement context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02M901 Improved TOW Vehicle | Estrella Warbird MuseumPublisher: Estrella Warbird Museum | Note: Supports the vehicle type, dimensions, speed, crew, launcher, missile stowage, contract manufacturer context, and secondary Gulf War combat-use summary. | Accessed: 2026-07-02File:M901 Improved TOW vehicle.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing source for the REFORGER '83 vehicle photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-02File:M901 TOW missile vehicle (1985).JPEGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing source for the 1985 REFORGER vehicle photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-02File:M901 ITV in Athens on March 25, 2024.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing source for the 2024 Athens vehicle photo. | Accessed: 2026-07-02