AUSA 2014: BAE Systems awarded US Army M88A1 upgrade work
BAE Systems will convert 53 M88A1 recovery vehicles to the M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift Evacuation System (HERCULES) configuration for the US Army under a $153.6 million contract announced on 6 October.
The US Army requires recovery vehicles capable of supporting its increasingly heavy fleet of Army Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) vehicles. HERCULES, with a 70,000 pound boom, is able to hoist and tow twice the weight of the M88A1, and is the only vehicle able to recover the M1 Abrams tank and the heaviest mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) variants in a combat environment.
Adam Zarfoss, director of artillery and recovery systems, BAE Systems, said: ‘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. The HERCULES is a significant upgrade over its predecessor and is essential to fulfill successful recovery missions.’
Upgrade work on the vehicles will begin immediately, and will move the US Army closer to its goal to pure-fleet its M88s to the HERCULES variant. BAE Systems has converted nearly 650 US Army M88 vehicles to the HERCULES configuration to date.
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