BAE Systems has secured a $318 million Army contract to upgrade M88 recovery vehicles to an M88A3 configuration designed for single-vehicle recovery of the latest version Abrams tank.
“As the U.S. Army’s primary recovery vehicle, the M88 plays a critical role in the Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Team,” Dennis Hancock, recovery programs director for BAE Systems’ Combat Vehicles business, said. “We have partnered closely with the Army and industry partners to develop a solution that addresses the single-vehicle recovery gap. We are proud to continue to support the Army’s recovery needs by providing a next-generation solution to effectively rescue disabled tanks from the battlefield.”
The pact is awarded under an Other Transactional Authority (OTA) acquisition model for upgrading the M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift Evacuation System (HERCULES) to the next generation M88A3 HERCULES.
The M88A3 configuration features an upgraded powertrain, suspension, and tracks, increasing the vehicle’s speed, survivability, and reliability while also featuring
a seventh road wheel to reduce ground pressure and new hydropneumatic suspension units (HSUs) enabling the track to be locked out for greater control when recovering vehicles.
The work will be performed at BAE Systems’ facilities in York, Pa.; Aiken, S.C., Anniston, Ala., and Sterling Heights, Mich., under the agreement.