Mysterious Weapon Fired From Bradley Fighting Vehicle During Exercise

The U.S. Military has launched an image of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle utilizing its BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missile launcher to fireside one thing else referred to easily because the “670,” which seems to be beforehand unseen.

“A U.S. Military Bradley Preventing Car launches a 670 throughout Challenge Convergence-Capstone 5 (PC-C5) on Fort Irwin, Calif., in March 2025,” the image’s caption reads. “PC-C5 is the premier Joint, Mixed experiment hosted by Military Futures Command to display how know-how enhances cross-domain navy operations.”

The Military kicked off the Challenge Convergence initiative in 2020 and has been utilizing occasions like PC-C5 to check, combine, and community collectively new and improved methods and capabilities in more and more extra operationally consultant situations. The primary half has been going down this month on the sprawling National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin in California. The second half will kick off subsequent month at multiple operating locations across the Indo-Pacific.

No additional details about the 670 appears to be available and TWZ has reached out to the Military for extra particulars.

From what may be seen within the picture, the 670 is propelled, at the very least instantly after launch, by a small rocket motor on the rear of its broadly cylindrical physique. It additionally has three pop-out grid fins on the tail finish. Whether or not or not it has different management surfaces that aren’t seen of their deployed positions is unknown, however there are open sections seen towards the entrance finish of the physique.

The 670 additionally has a rounded white-colored nostril, however whether or not that is likely to be a radome or seeker of some type, or simply an aerodynamic fairing or one thing else, shouldn’t be identified. There are additionally at the very least three distinct sections seen alongside one aspect of the physique, which is likely to be modular and doubtlessly dispensable payloads, akin to cluster munitions or countermeasures of some sort.

The general configuration of the 670 is distinctly totally different from any model of the BGM-71 identified to exist, together with fashionable varieties which can be not wire-guided. Nevertheless, since it may be fired from a Bradley’s TOW missile launcher, it does have to have at the very least an identical kind issue. Present era TOW missiles are slightly below 4 toes lengthy and 6 inches in diameter. Sure variants have probes that reach round a foot from the entrance of the nostril after launch to assist defeat explosive reactive armor and in any other case guarantee optimum detonation. You possibly can learn extra in regards to the full TOW missile household here.

The U.S. navy does have the tube-launched GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition (SGM) in its stock, which has three grid fins on the tail finish and is of the suitable normal dimension. Nevertheless, the SGM, which additionally has a pop-out essential wing, is unpowered and its fins have a distinctly totally different design from these on the 670.

With out understanding extra, it’s laborious to say with certainty whether or not the 670 is likely to be a munition, an uncrewed system, countermeasure, or one thing else.

A significant part of all Challenge Convergence occasions because the Military first launched the initiative in 2020 has been assessments of what are actually known as “launched results.” This broad time period encompasses a still-growing range of drones and loitering munitions that may be launched from fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and platforms on the ground. A launched impact design able to performing surveillance and reconnaissance, digital warfare, kinetic assault, and/or different capabilities, and that may be fired from current TOW launchers, may very well be a boon to a wide range of Military models past heavy armored formations outfitted with Bradleys.

The video beneath provides a really normal overview of the Military’s imaginative and prescient for its future household of launched results.

The Military has additionally been at the very least exploring choices in recent times for a new anti-tank guided missile to succeed the venerable BGM-71 collection that will additionally be capable to make use of current launchers.

An air protection model of the Bradley, often called the M6 Linebacker, with a four-round launcher for Stinger heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles as a substitute of the TOWs, was beforehand in Military stock, as nicely. The service may now be taking a look at methods to reboot that normal idea, particularly in gentle of the growing threat posed by drones.

BAE Techniques, the present prime contractor for the Bradley, has previously proposed a modernized short-range air protection (SHORAD) variant with both a four-round Stinger launcher or one which may very well be loaded with as much as two radar-guided AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles. Extra not too long ago, the corporate has pitched a SHORAD variant of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), which is derived from the Bradley.

Regardless of the mysterious 670 is likely to be, it highlights the potential for the Bradley’s TOW launcher to evolve right into a extra multi-mission system sooner or later.

Contact the creator: joe@twz.com