M88 Hercules Heavy Equipment Recovery Vehicle

The M88 Hercules (Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System) is a full-tracked, armored vehicle that was the Army's primary heavy equipment recovery, combat utility lift, and evacuation system beginning in the Vietnam era. The M-88A1 was introduced to the Army and the Marine Corps in 1977. The M88A2 Hercules uses the M88A1 chassis but significantly improves towing, winching, lifting, and braking characteristics. The Hercules is the primary recovery support for the Abrams tank fleet, the heavy Assault Bridge, and heavy self-propelled artillery.

USMC M88 Recovery Vehicle lifting a Honeywell AGT 1500 gas turbine engine into an M1A1 Abrams tank, Camp Coyote, Kuwait, 8 February 2003. The Marines are from 1st Tank Battalion, Twentynine Palms, CA.

The M88 Hercules is equipped with a 70-ton main winch, 35-ton hoist boom, and a 1,050 horsepower engine.

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Find additional photos and hi-res versions of the M-88 Hercules Recovery Vehicle at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup:

An M-88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle is used to lift the damaged hull of an M-48 Patton main battle tank, Ft. Stewart, GA, 1989.

M886 ambulances are unloaded from a C-130 Hercules aircraft during Exercise REFORGER 85, Jan 1985.

M880 CUCV and a pair of M998 HMMWVs in staging area before being loaded aboard the SS CAPE HORN (T-AKR 5068) for shipment back to the United States at the conclusion of US/South Korean Exercise TEAM SPIRIT '87, 15 Apr 1987. M88 Hercules, M-939 Series 5-ton, 6x6 Truck in background.

M-88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle towing an Amored Vehicle Launched Bridge (AVLB) from storage as preparations are made for Exercise REFORGER 78, Ramstein Air Base, September 1978.

An M-88 Hercules Armored Recovery Vehicle (center) pulls an M-577 command post vehicle (right -- M113 variant), across a shallow river bed during the South Korea/US Exercise Team Spirit 84, 21 March 1984. The lead vehicle appears to be a 2-1/2 ton 6x6 cargo truck.

An M88 Hercules Tank Recovery Vehicle drives down Torrance Blvd. during the Armed Forces Days Parade, Torrance, CA, 19 May 2012.

M-88 Hercules Recovery Vehicle, Full Tracked, Medium Photo Gallery

4th Infantry Division M88 Recovery Track.

M88 loads damaged M113 APC in Vietnam, January 1971.

M88A1 Recovery Vehicle, Full Tracked, Medium.

M88A2 Recovery Vehicle.

M88A2 Hercules on transporter, I-20 East, Ft. Worth, TX 10 September 2007. Photo: Courtesy of Bob Pettit.