BAE Systems has been awarded a $128.2-million contract to produce M88A2 HERCULES (Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System) vehicles for the US Army.
According to the US Department of Defense, the British firm was the only company to submit a proposal when the army solicited offers online.
The department has not specified how many M88A2s are included in the multimillion-dollar contract.
The work will take place in Pennsylvania, and the vehicles are expected to be delivered by the first quarter of 2025.
“The HERCULES is an invaluable vehicle for the army’s recovery missions,” BAE Systems director Dennis Hancock said a few years ago. “We are proud to support the army’s recovery needs and we will continue to work alongside the army to provide upgraded solutions as their missions and requirements change.”
The M88A2 HERCULES
A variant of the M88, the M88A2 HERCULES is a self-supporting armored recovery vehicle for battlefield rescue and recovery.
It is powered by an air-cooled, twin-turbo diesel engine with an enhanced propulsion system to support operations over various terrain.
It can tow, hoist, and winch 70-ton tracked vehicles used by the US Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Team.
The M88A2 vehicle can travel at 48 kilometers (30 miles) per hour and has a hull designed to withstand anti-personnel mines, artillery fragments, and small arms fire.