November 4, 2007:
Egypt is buying 2,000 American
TOW missiles. Not the anti-tank version, but the increasingly more popular
"bunker buster" BGM-71E TOW 2A. This model of the $50,000 missile has a warhead
that is more explosive than armor penetrating. Thus it is excellent for
destroying buildings and bunkers. The TOW 2A can still be used against armored
vehicles, especially those using reactive armor, but the warhead will not
defeat the heaviest tanks. Like all TOW missiles, it has a range of 3,750
meters. Nearly four feet long and 152mm in diameter, the TOW weighs 50 pounds.