BAE Systems, York, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $127,588,892 modification (P00026) to contract W56HZV-17-C-0242 for the sole source procurement of M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System (HERCULES) vehicles. The HERCULES improved Recovery Vehicle is the recovery system of choice for today’s 70-ton combat vehicles. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2023. Fiscal 2020 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $127,588,892 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
With the lowest acquisition, operational and maintenance cost of any 70-ton capable recovery system, HERCULES answers the need for cost-effective, self-supporting heavy recovery performance. The HERCULES was the primary 70-ton recovery system during Operation Iraqi Freedom. And, U.S. troops found a few other creative uses for its capabilities when they used it to pull down the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad on April 9, 2003. HERCULES utilizes a hull designed for the recovery mission and thoroughly proven by U.S. Army testing. Stability and performance are unmatched by any alternate tank-based design.
HERCULES offers operational and logistics commonality with the existing M88A1 fleet, simplifying training and parts availability. Key upgrades include improved power-assisted braking, improved steering, improved electrical system and increased engine horsepower. HERCULES features overlay armor protection, ballistic skirts, a longer 35-ton boom, a 140,000-pound (63,504 kg) constant pull main winch with 280 feet of cable, and an auxiliary three-ton winch to aid main winch cable deployment. The M88A2 HERCULES is built and equipped to be the world’s recovery combat utility lift and evacuation system champion.
