Aerojet awarded $19 million TOW contract

recently signed a multi-year agreement with

to fabricate warheads for the TOW-2A and TOW-2B missile systems. Aerojet's initial one-year contract is valued at $19.4 million and the company has negotiated options through to 2009.

The Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) Weapon system is intended to destroy armoured vehicles and urban threats. Aerojet's current year contract includes fabrication, loading, and assembly of more than 4,000 TOW-2A and TOW-2B warheads.

Aerojet previously filled contracts for TOW warheads, delivering more than 60,000 TOW-2A and TOW-2B warheads to Raytheon in multiple contractual agreements.

The TOW weapon system can be mounted on a variety of platforms, including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle, and the AH-1F Cobra helicopter. It can also be operated from an unmounted ground position.

The TOW-2A missile is fired by a TOW launcher directly at armoured vehicles, while the TOW-2B flies overhead and destroys the target by firing two Aerojet-built explosively formed penetrator warheads at the target.