M88A3 HERCULES

Description: The M60 Patton was developed from M48 Main Battle Tank in the 1950s. It was fielded with the US Army in 1961 equipped with a 105mm cannon as main armament. In addition, it features a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun and a roof-mounted 12.7 anti-aircraft gun. M60 Main Battle Tank (MBTs) series are powered by Continental AVDS-1790 V12 diesel engine rated at 750-hp. M60s saw combat in the Middle East, Vietnam and Iraq. More than 15,000 M60s were produced for the United States and international customers between 1960 and 1983.

The US Army M88A3 HERCULES is the successor to the M88A2 recovery vehicle and is intended to provide single-vehicle recovery for the latest M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks. The current M1A2 and the planned M1A2C and M1A2D tanks will require a heavier recovery vehicle due to the gross weight increase on modern tanks. The M88A3 configuration features an upgraded powertrain, suspension and tracks, increasing the vehicle's speed, survivability and reliability. The M88A3 also features a seventh road wheel to reduce ground pressure and new hydropneumatic suspension units (HSUs) that enable the track to be locked out for greater control when recovering vehicles. BAE Systems was awarded a $318 million contract for the development of the M88A3 in September 2019 over three through 2022.