The military is to hold the Tien Ma Exercises next week in Pingtung County, during which it is to test a new generation of TOW missile launch platforms as part of night-time shooting drills for the first time, a military source said.
The two-day exercises, scheduled to begin on Monday next week, would test the tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided (TOW) 2A missiles on M1167 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, which are TOW 2B carriers, a source said.
In addition, TOW 2B launchers, which are equipped with thermal imaging and tracking aim functions, would be tested for night-time combat for the first time since they were commissioned for use in the armed forces, the source added.
Photo courtesy of the Military News Agency
Compared with older TOW 2A munitions, TOW 2B missiles can carry out “top attacks,” are wireless and have a range of at least 4,500m, making them ideal for targeting bunkers, armored vehicles and landing craft.
The main goal of test-firing TOW 2A missiles from TOW 2B launch platforms is to test their compatibility, Institute of National Defense and Security Research research fellow Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said.
As TOW 2A missiles were developed earlier, doing so would also help clear some of the missiles that are nearing their decommissioning date, Su said.
Regarding the planned night-time live-fire drills, Su said it would help the armed forces respond better to Chinese attacks, given that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army could launch strikes at any time of day.
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