The US Army has awarded BAE Systems a USD 74.6 M (EUR 69.5 M) million undefinitised contract for the production of M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System (HERCULES) armoured recovery vehicles (ARVs), with a definitised contract expected in 2024, the company announced on 5 September 2023.
The US Department of Defense gave an estimated completion date for the work of 30 June 2025.
“The M88A2 is a powerhouse vehicle, not just in its ability to recover every vehicle in the army’s Armored Brigade Combat Teams, but its ability to perform essential maintenance on the battlefield,” Dean Medland, vice president of sustainment and international programs for the Combat Mission Systems business at BAE Systems Inc, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “We’re pleased to continue providing these critical capabilities that keep our military’s vehicles and troops in the fight.”
The M88A2 HERCULES features overlay armour protection, ballistic skirts, a 35-ton boom, a 63,504 kg constant-pull main winch with 280 ft (85.3 m) of cable, and an auxiliary three-ton winch to aid main winch cable deployment.
The US Army has around 900 or so M88A2 ARVs in its current inventory.
Peter Felstead
