BAE Systems has been awarded a $153.6 million contract from the US Army to convert 53 M88A1 recovery vehicles to the M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift Evacuation System (HERCULES) configuration.
Work on the contract will extend the M88 production line within the Combat Vehicle Industrial Base through 2016.
“This contract provides enhanced capabilities for America’s soldiers and will help preserve the defence industrial base by retaining critical employees and unique skill sets,” said Adam Zarfoss, Director of Artillery and Recovery Systems at BAE Systems. “The HERCULES is a significant upgrade over its predecessor and is essential to fulfil successful recovery missions.”
The fleet of Army Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) vehicles is getting heavier, making it increasingly important that the recovery fleet is upgraded to support them. With its 70,000lbs boom, the HERCULES is able to hoist and tow twice the weight of its predecessor, the M88A1. The HERCULES, which provides recovery support to soldiers in the field, is the only vehicle in US Army inventory able to recover the M1 ABRAMS tank and the heaviest MRAP variants in a combat environment.
The upgrade work will begin immediately. The contract continues the US Army’s programme to pure-fleet its M88s to the HERCULES variant. To date, BAE Systems has converted nearly 650 US Army M88 vehicles to the HERCULES configuration.
Work on the contract will extend the M88 production line within the Combat Vehicle Industrial Base through 2016.
“This contract provides enhanced capabilities for America’s soldiers and will help preserve the defence industrial base by retaining critical employees and unique skill sets,” said Adam Zarfoss, Director of Artillery and Recovery Systems at BAE Systems. “The HERCULES is a significant upgrade over its predecessor and is essential to fulfil successful recovery missions.”
The fleet of Army Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) vehicles is getting heavier, making it increasingly important that the recovery fleet is upgraded to support them. With its 70,000lbs boom, the HERCULES is able to hoist and tow twice the weight of its predecessor, the M88A1. The HERCULES, which provides recovery support to soldiers in the field, is the only vehicle in US Army inventory able to recover the M1 ABRAMS tank and the heaviest MRAP variants in a combat environment.
The upgrade work will begin immediately. The contract continues the US Army’s programme to pure-fleet its M88s to the HERCULES variant. To date, BAE Systems has converted nearly 650 US Army M88 vehicles to the HERCULES configuration.