Maybe one of you who has used/seen/been trained on this weapon system can answer a couple of detail questions?
I'd long assumed that the missile tube was loaded into its launcher with end caps in place. Then I found this pic-
Looks like the front end cap has been removed from the tube, and is sitting on the large boxy thing behind the launcher. Normal procedure for loading a TOW round? So if you happen to look down the barrel of a launcher, you'd be looking at the nose of the missile? I'm guessing that the cap is retained in case the round is removed from the launcher without being fired, so it can be resealed? For TOW versions with a telescoping probe, does the probe extend once the cover is removed or does it stay collapsed until the missile fires? I'm guessing it stays retracted- but the throat of the launcher would probably be long enough to keep an extended probe covered before launch. Would you see it?
Next question-
TOW rounds are often (but certainly not always) seen with a wrap covering the back end of the tube. Looks like this.
The wrap appears to cover the end of the tube that protrudes past the rear end of the launcher. It looks fairly substantial, and is secured by webbing straps running through buckles and velcroed into place. What is this? I'm guessing it provides some ballistic/thermal protection to operator as the missile is fired? Why is it present sometimes, but not others? There are plenty of pics of live rounds (brown and yellow stripes) in launchers without this wrap.
Thanks!
