An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is typically a powerful tank or armoured personnel carrier (APC) chassis modified for use during combat for military vehicle recovery (towing) or repair of battle-damaged, stuck, and/or inoperable

armoured fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured cars, ...

s, such as tanks and armoured personnel carriers. Most ARVs have motorized tracks, like a tank or bulldozer, enabling the ARV to operate on uneven ground. The term "Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle" (ARRV) is also used. ARVs may have winches, jibs, cranes, and/or bulldozer blades to aid in tank recovery. Typically, any specialized lifting and recovery equipment replaces the turret and cannon found on a battle tank. ARVs may in some cases have electric generators, blowtorches, chainsaws and fuel pumps to help with recovery operations, or spare parts, to facilitate field repairs. Some ARVs have a spade component to anchor the vehicle when it is towing or lifting. Since most ARVs are based on tank or APC chassis, they have an armoured crew cockpit and engine, which means that ARVs can be operated in combat conditions. Rarely, an ARV may be armed, such as some M32s, which have an 81 mm mortar for screening purposes, and the M88, which has a .50 cal heavy machine gun. One WWII

M4 Sherman } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It ...

-based ARV had a dummy gun installed where the turret would normally go. Early ARVs in WWII were often repurposed tanks, with the turret and armament removed and replaced with some type of winch. In the 2010s, ARVs are generally factory-built. Even so, ARVs often use a shared chassis that is used on an army's other fighting vehicles, as this facilitates repair and maintenance of the ARV (since the same parts can be used on the ARV and the vehicles it supports). Some ARVs are operated in tandem with armoured bulldozers. ARVs generally can only tow an equivalent-class vehicle or one that is lighter in weight. As such, an APC chassis-based ARV can only tow and recover an APC, but not a much heavier tank. While most ARVs are made from or based on APC or tank chassis, more rarely, an ARV may be based on an

artillery tractor An artillery tractor, also referred to as a gun tractor, is a specialized heavy-duty form of tractor unit used to tow artillery pieces of varying weights and calibres. It may be wheeled, tracked, or half-tracked. Traction There are two ...

chassis. Some ARVs have specialized equipment that enables them to operate on beaches or in shallow water.

Development history

Early models

The British Army on the Western Front, 1914-1918 Q9865

During World War I, some British Mark IV heavy tanks were fitted with jibs to produce "salvage tanks", but the majority of their work was at the tank parks in aid of moving, maintaining, and repairing damaged tanks.

Second World War

The first true ARVs were introduced in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, often by converting obsolete or damaged tanks, usually by removing the turret and installing a heavy-duty

winch A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the tension of a rope or wire rope (also called "cable" or "wire cable"). In its simplest form, it consists of a spool (or drum) attach ...

to free stuck vehicles, plus a variety of vehicle repair

tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

s. Some were also purpose-built in

factories A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. T ...

, using an existing tank chassis with a hull superstructure to accommodate repair and recovery equipment. Many of the latter type of ARV had an

A-frame An A-frame is a basic structure designed to bear a load in a lightweight economical manner. The simplest form of an A-frame is two similarly sized beams, arranged in an angle of 45 degrees or less, attached at the top, like an uppercase lette ...

or crane to allow the vehicle's crew to perform heavy lifting tasks, such as removing the engine from a disabled tank.

Postwar

After World War II, most countries' MBT models also had corresponding ARV variants. Many ARVs are also equipped with a bulldozer blade that can be used as an

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄ� ...

when winching or as a stabiliser when lifting, a pump to transfer fuel to another vehicle, and more. Some can even carry a spare

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ...

for field replacement, such as the German

Leopard 1 The Leopard 1 (also styled Leopard I, before the Leopard 2 simply known as Leopard) is a main battle tank designed and produced by Porsche in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were thought t ...

ARV.

Characteristics and roles

ARVs are normally built on the chassis of a

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...

(MBT), but some are also constructed on the basis of other

s, mostly armoured personnel carriers (APCs). ARVs are usually built on the basis of a vehicle in the same class as they are supposed to recover; a tank-based ARV is used to recover tanks, while an APC-based one recovers APCs (it does not have the power to tow a much heavier tank). ARVs with a crane can be used to lift and place concrete fortifications in place and help with other battlefield engineering. Some

combat engineering vehicle A military engineering vehicle is a vehicle built for construction work or for the transportation of combat engineers on the battlefield. These vehicles may be modified civilian equipment (such as the armoured bulldozers that many nations field ...

s (CEVs) are based on ARVs.

List

The following is a list of ARVs by country, either designer/manufacturer or user.

Argentina

* TAM VCRT, based on Tanque Argentino Mediano

Austria

* SB-20 Greif, based on

SK-105 Kürassier The SK-105 ''Kürassier'' is an Austrian light tank armed with a rifled 105 mm gun in an oscillating turret. It is estimated that over 700 have been produced. History Design and development The SK-105 was developed by Saurer-Werk (now Ste ...

Canada

* Ram ARV (WWII) * AVGP Husky (1976–present) * MTVR (-present) * Bison MRV(-present) * Leopard 2 ARV (-present)

Czechoslovakia

*VT-34 ARV, based on T-34 chassis *JT-34 crane tank, based on T-34 chassis *VT-55A ARV, based on T-55 Chassis *VT-72B ARV, based on T-72 chassis - (1987 to 1989) *VPV Brem-Tch, based on BVP-1 chassis (Czech build BMP) - (1985 to 1989)

Denmark

* Wisent 1 ARV based on the Bergepanzer'' - Leopard 1 tank

France

* M32 Tank Recovery Vehicle, based on the Sherman tank (from 1944) * M74 Tank Recovery Vehicle (1954–1975) * AMX 30 D (from 1973), based on the

AMX 30 The AMX-30 is a main battle tank designed by Ateliers de construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX, then GIAT) and first delivered to the French Army in August 1966. The first five tanks were issued to the 501st ''Régiment de Chars de Combat'' ...

* Char de dépannage DNG/DCL, based on the AMX-56 Leclerc

Indonesia

* AMX-D * Anoa ARV - Indonesian recovery/engineering vehicle based on Anoa APCs featuring a 12-ton telescopic crane, 6-ton winch, chainsaw, blow torch and an electric generator. * Bergepanzer 3 "Büffel" - Leopard 2 chassis * BREM-Ch * BREM-L * M32 Tank Recovery Vehicle * M113A1-B-Rec - recovery vehicle with a heavy internal winch. Similar to M806. Supplied by Sabiex, Belgium. * M113A1-B-MTC - Maintenance vehicle with hydraulic HIAB crane. Similar to the M579. Supplied by Sabiex, Belgium. * Stormer Recovery

Japan

*Se-Ri Tank Recovery Vehicle -

Type 97 Chi-Ha The was a medium tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Battles of Khalkhin Gol against the Soviet Union, and the Second World War. It was the most widely produced Japanese medium tank of World War II. T ...

Tank chassis *Type 70 Tank Recovery Vehicle - Type 61 Roku-ichi Tank chassis *Type 78 Tank Recovery Vehicle - Type 74 Nana-yon Tank chassis *Type 90 Tank Recovery Vehicle -

Type 90 Kyū-maru The is a main battle tank (MBT) of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). It was designed and built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as a replacement for the Type 61 and to supplement the then current fleet of Type 74 tanks, and entered s ...

Tank chassis *Type 11 Tank Recovery Vehicle - Type 10 Hito-maru Tank chassis

Germany

;World War 2 * Bergepanzer III -

PzKpfw III The ''Panzerkampfwagen III'', commonly known as the Panzer III, was a medium tank developed in the 1930s by Germany, and was used extensively in World War II. The official German ordnance designation was Sd.Kfz. 141. It was intended to fight oth ...

chassis * Bergepanzer IV -

PzKpfw IV The ''Panzerkampfwagen'' IV (Pz.Kpfw. IV), commonly known as the ''Panzer'' IV, was a German medium tank developed in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 161. The Panz ...

chassis *Bergepanther (Sd.Kfz. 179) - PzKpfw V Panther chassis 347 produced (1943 to 1945). *'' Bergetiger'' - PzKpfw VI Tiger I chassis *''Bergepanzer 38(t)'' - Jagdpanzer 38 chassis, 170 produced (1944 to 1945). *''Bergepanzer T-34'' - Captured

T-34 The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank introduced in 1940. When introduced its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was less powerful than its contemporaries while its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against anti-tank weapons. The C ...

chassis ;Modern *Bergepanzer M74 (Sherman Chassis) - first TRV/ARV of the West German Bundeswehr, 300 used 1956-1960 (see M74 entry under United States). *''Bergepanzer'' 1 - M88 Chassis, the first of 125 entered service in 1962 and a 1985 modernization program replaced the gasoline engine with a diesel and improved the hoist. *''Bergepanzer'' 2 - Leopard 1 tank chassis. Used by the

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Forc ...

since the 1990s as Taurus ARV. * Bergepanzer 3 "Büffel" - Leopard 2 chassis *Bergepanzer Wisent - Bergepanzer 2 chassis. Modified and upgraded by Flensburger Fahrzeugbau to support the demands of the future battlefield. Optimised to support the Leopard 1 and 2 main battle tanks. *Bergepanzer Wisent 2 - Leopard 2 chassis. Successor of the Wisent. Build by Flensburger Fahrzeugbau.

Israel

*Trail Blazer (''Gordon'') (Sherman chassis) - An IDF recovery/engineering vehicle based on HVSS equipped M4A1s Sherman tanks, it featured a large single boom crane (as opposed to the A-Frame of the M32) and large spades at the front and rear of the vehicle to assist in lifting. It could also tow up to 72 tons. * "Technical" and "Fitter" - ARVs based on the M-113 with crane attached *Nemera - modern recovery vehicle based on

Merkava The Merkava ( he, מרכבה, , "chariot") is a series of main battle tanks used by the Israel Defense Forces and the backbone of the IDF's armored corps. The tank began development in 1970, and its first generation, the Merkava mark 1, entere ...

tank chassis. Several prototypes have been built, but it never fielded in large number in the IDF. * The current ARV in IDF use is the American-made M88 Recovery Vehicle, which is accompanied and assisted by an

IDF Caterpillar D9 The IDF Caterpillar D9 —nicknamed ''Doobi'' ( he, דובי, for teddy bear) — is a Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Israeli armored CAT D9 was heavily modified by the Israel Defense Forces, Isra ...

armoured bulldozer.

Malaysia

WZT WZT (''Wóz Zabezpieczenia Technicznego'' – armoured recovery vehicle) was a Polish post-World War II armoured recovery vehicle series. It consists of five versions. The first two, WZT-1 and WZT-2 were built on T-55/T-55A hull, the WZT-3 was bui ...

-4 build by Polish ''Bumar-Łabędy''

Mexico

* M32 Chenca (Sherman chassis) - In 1998, Napco International of the USA upgraded M32B1 TRV

-chassis armoured recovery vehicles with Detroit Diesel 8V-92-T diesel engines (see M32 entry under United States).

Poland

* CW-34 (T-34 Chassis) * WPT-34 (T-34, SU-85 and SU-100 Chassis) * WZT-1 (T-54 and T-55 Chassis) * WZT-2 (T-55 Chassis) * WZT-3 (T-72M Chassis) * WZT-4 (PT-91M Chassis) produced for

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

*WPT-TOPAS (TOPAS Chassis) *WPT-MORS (MTLB Chassis) *KWZT "MAMMOTH" Heavy Wheeled Evacuation and Technical Rescue Vehicle (TATRA T 815 – 7Z0R9T 44 440 8x8.1R Chassis)

Serbia/Yugoslavia

* M-84ABI - The ARV based on Yugoslav/Serbian M-84 MBT. *

VIU-55 Munja VIU-55 Munja ( sr, Муња, lit. 'lightning') is a combat engineering vehicle produced by Serbia. VTI did the conceptual design of the ''Munja'' general-purpose engineer vehicle and the Technical Overhauling Institute "Čačak" built the vehicle ...

Soviet Union/Russia

The

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

acronym BREM ( cyr. БРЭМ) stands for "бронированная ремонтно-эвакуационная машина", literally "armoured repair and recovery vehicle". * BTS-2 ( T-54 Chassis) * BTS-4A (

T-44 The T-44 is a medium tank first developed and produced near the end of World War II by the Soviet Union. It was the successor to the T-34, offering an improved ride and cross-country performance, along with much greater armor. Designed to be eq ...

Chassis) * BREM-1 (

T-72 The T-72 is a family of Soviet/Russian main battle tanks that entered production in 1969. The T-72 was a development of the T-64, which was troubled by high costs and its reliance on immature developmental technology. About 25,000 T-72 tanks h ...

Chassis) * BREM-2 (

BMP-1 The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle, in service 1966–present. BMP stands for ''Boyevaya Mashina Pyekhoty 1'' (russian: link=no, Боевая Машина Пехоты 1; БМП-1), meaning "infantry fighting ve ...

Chassis) * BREM-L ( BMP-3 Chassis) * BREM-K (

BTR-80 The BTR-80 (russian: бронетранспортёр, bronyetransportyor, literally "armoured transporter") is an 8×8 wheeled amphibious armoured personnel carrier (APC) designed in the USSR. It was adopted in 1985 and replaced the previous ...

Chassis) * BREM-80U (

T-80U List of models and variants of the T-80 main battle tank. Command tanks with additional radio equipment have ''K'' added to their designation for ''komandirskiy'' ("command"), for example, ''T-80BK'' is the command version of the T-80B. Version ...

Chassis) * T-16 ( Armata Chassis)

Turkey

* M48A5T5 Tamay - Turkish-designed remote controlled armored recovery vehicle built on the M48 chassis. * MPG M4K - indigenous ARV in 8x8 configuration, with 600 HP engine, an automatic transmission with torque converter also has CBRN capabilities.

United Kingdom

The British tested their first ARV designs in early 1942. The decision at the time was to focus on the Churchill infantry tank as the basis, but cruiser tank based ARVs were also produced. When the UK received supplies of US medium tanks - first the M3, then M4 Sherman, conversions were made of these to operate alongside and so simplify support. ;World War II *

Cavalier The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ) ...

ARV * Churchill ARV * Crusader ARV * Centaur Arv * Cromwell ARV *

Grant Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom * Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama * Grant, Inyo County, ...

ARV - two Marks, the first was a British conversion, the second was a US M31 TRV in British service *Sherman III ARV I - Armoured Recovery Vehicle conversion of Sherman III (M4A2), similarly "Sherman V ARV Mark I" and "ARV Mark II" *Sherman ARV II - conversion of Sherman V with dummy gun in fixed "turret", 7.5 ton jib at front, spade earth anchor at rear.Chamberlain and Duncan p179 *Sherman II ARV Mk III was a M32B1 TRV (see US ARV). ;Modern * Centurion ARV *FV219 - on A45 "Universal tank" chassis * FV220 Conqueror ARV * Chieftain FV4204 ARV/ARRV * FV434 "Carrier, Maintenance, Full Tracked" * M578 * Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle (CRARRV). The CRARRV has a large set of recovery and heavy repair tools including a man portable ultrathermic cutting system with an underwater cutting capability and a portable welding system. * FV106 Samson - complement to the

Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) The Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked), abbreviated CVR(T), is a family of armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) developed in the 1960s and is in service with the British Army and others throughout the world. They are small, highly mobile, air ...

series of vehicles *FV513 Warrior Recovery Vehicle - complement to the

Warrior tracked armoured vehicle The Warrior tracked vehicle family is a series of British armoured vehicles, originally developed to replace FV430 series armoured vehicles. The Warrior started life as the MCV-80, "Mechanised Combat Vehicle for the 1980s". One of the requirement ...

s ;BARV (World War II to Modern) Sherman BARV

*The

BARV A beach armoured recovery vehicle (BARV) is an armoured recovery vehicle used for amphibious landings. There have been three different BARVs in British service since their introduction during World War II. They have also been used by Dutch and ...

is a British military support vehicle, the name coming from "Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle", for working in shallow water. BARVs were used to free operational vehicles that were stuck, and to clear the beach of inoperable vehicles or landing craft, to make way for other forces. Various models were based on the M4A2 Sherman, Centurion and

A5 ("Hippo") tank chassis. Australia converted a M3A5 Grant to a BARV configuration. The first BARV was a Sherman M4A2 tank which had been waterproofed and had the turret replaced by a tall armoured superstructure. Around 60 were deployed on the invasion beaches during the

Battle of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...

. The crew included a diver whose job was to go underwater to attach towing chains to stuck vehicles. * Centurion tank.

United States

M25 Tank Transporter The M25 Tank Transporter (G160) was a combination 6x6 M26 armored heavy tank transporter/ tank recovery tractor and companion 40-ton M15 trailer introduced into US Army service in Europe in 1944–45. Manufactured by Pacific Car & Foundry Co., ...

- Tractor unit could serve a dual purpose as a recovery vehicle. *M31 Tank Recovery Vehicle - based on M3 Lee chassis. (sometimes called a T2 tank retriever) * M32 Tank Recovery Vehicle, or M32 TRV, based on the Sherman tank chassis with turret replaced by fixed superstructure, winch and an long pivoting A-frame jib installed. An 81 mm mortar was also added into the hull, primarily for screening purposes. **M32B1 - M32s converted from M4A1s (some converted to M34 artillery prime mover tractors). ***M32A1B1 - M32B1s with HVSS, later removing the 81 mm mortar and incorporating crane improvements. **M32B2 - M32s converted from M4A2s. **M32B3 - M32s converted from M4A3s. ***M32A1B3 - M32B3s brought up to M32A1B1 standard. **M32B4 - M32s converted from M4A4s. * M74 Armored Recovery Vehicle - Upgrade of the M32 to provide the same capability for heavier post-war tanks, converted from M4A3 HVSS tanks. In appearance, the M74 is very similar to the M32, fitted with an A-Frame crane, a main towing winch, an auxiliary winch, and a manual utility winch. The M74 also has a front-mounted spade that can be used as a support or as a dozer blade. **M74B1 - Same as the M74, but converted from M32B3s. * M578 Light Recovery Vehicle (LRV) - based on the M110 chassis. *M51 Heavy Recovery Vehicle - based on the M103 heavy tank chassis. * M88 Recovery Vehicle - based on the chassis and parts of the automotive component of the

M48 Patton The M48 Patton is an American first-generation main battle tank (MBT) introduced in February 1952, being designated as the 90mm Gun Tank: M48. It was designed as a replacement for the M26 Pershing, M4 Sherman, M46 and M47 Patton tanks, and w ...

M60 Patton The M60 is an American second-generation main battle tank (MBT). It was officially standardized as the Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60 in March 1959. Although developed from the M48 Patton, the M60 tank series was never officially ...

. **M88A1 Recovery Vehicle - improved, medium, 55-ton, diesel engine. **M88A2 Hercules Recovery Vehicle - improved, heavy, 70-ton, diesel engine. **M88A3 Hercules Recovery Vehicle - is a further upgrade of the M88A2 . It is the latest member of the M88 family. It uses a modernized powertrain and has improved speed, hoisting and winching capacity also features a seventh road wheel to reduce ground pressure.

References

Notes

Bibliography

*Peter Chamberlain and Major-General N.W. Duncan. AFV Weapons Profiles No.35 ''British Armoured Recovery Vehicles + Wheels, Tracks and Transporters'' (1971) Profile Publishing

External links

REME Museum of Technology
{{DEFAULTSORT:Armoured Recovery Vehicle Recovery Military recovery vehicles