Armoured recovery vehicle
Encyclopedia
An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is a type of armoured fighting vehicle
Armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked....

 used to repair battle- or mine-damaged as well as broken-down armoured vehicles during combat, or to tow them out of the danger zone for more extensive repairs. To this end the term "Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle" (ARRV) is also used.

ARVs are normally built on the chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...

 of a main battle tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...

 (MBT), but some are also constructed on the basis of other armoured fighting vehicle
Armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked....

s, mostly armoured personnel carrier
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...

s (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, but does not have the power to tow a much heavier tank.

Development history

The first true ARVs were introduced in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, often by converting obsolete or damaged tanks, usually by removing the turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...

 and installing a heavy-duty winch
Winch
A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and...

 to free stuck vehicles, plus a variety of vehicle repair tool
Tool
A tool is a device that can be used to produce an item or achieve a task, but that is not consumed in the process. Informally the word is also used to describe a procedure or process with a specific purpose. Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such...

s. Some were also purpose-built in factories, 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
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 a 45-degree or greater angle, attached at the top...

 or crane
Crane (machine)
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...

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

After World War II, most countries' MBT models also had corresponding ARV variants. Many ARVs are also equipped with a bulldozer
Bulldozer
A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...

 blade that can be used as an anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...

 when winching or as a stabiliser when lifting, a pump to transfer fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...

 to another vehicle, and more. Some can even carry a spare engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...

 for field replacement, such the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 Leopard 1 ARV.

Some combat engineering vehicle
Combat engineering vehicle
Military engineering vehicles are vehicles built for the construction work or for the transportation of combat engineers on the battlefield. These vehicles can range from civilian equipment to purpose built military vehicles....

s (CEVs) are based on ARVs.

Canada

  • Ram ARV
    Ram tank
    The Tank Cruiser, Ram was a cruiser tank designed and built by Canada in the Second World War, based on the U.S. M3 Medium tank. Due to the entrance of the United States into the war and the superior design of the American Sherman, it was used exclusively for training purposes and was never used in...

     (WWII)

Czechoslovakia

  • VT-34 ARV (T-34 Chassis)
  • VT-55A ARV (T-55 Chassis)
  • VT-72B ARV (T-72 Chassis) - (1987 to 1989)
  • VPV (BVP-1 Chassis) - (1985 to 1989)

France

  • M32 Tank Recovery Vehicle, based on the Sherman tank
    M4 Sherman
    The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...

     (from 1944)
  • M74 Tank Recovery Vehicle (1954–1975)
  • AMX 30 D (from 1973), based on the AMX 30
    AMX 30
    The AMX-30 is a main battle tank designed by GIAT, first delivered to the French Army in 1966. The first five tanks were issued to the 501st Régiment de Chars de Combat in August of that year. The production version of the AMX-30 weighed , and sacrificed protection for increased mobility...

  • Leclerc MARS, based on the AMX-56 Leclerc
    Leclerc
    The AMX-56 Leclerc, commonly known as the Leclerc, is a main battle tank built by Nexter of France. It was named in honour of General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque who led the French element of the drive towards Paris while in command of the Free French 2nd Armoured Division in World War...


Germany

WWII
  • Bergepanzer III - PzKpfw III
    Panzer III
    Panzer III was the common name of a medium tank that was developed in the 1930s by Germany and was used extensively in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen III translating as "armoured battle vehicle". It was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and...

     chassis
  • Bergepanzer IV - PzKpfw IV
    Panzer IV
    The Panzerkampfwagen IV , commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz...

     chassis
  • Bergepanther (SdKfz 179) - PzKpfw V Panther
    Panther tank
    Panther is the common name of a medium tank fielded by Nazi Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. It was intended as a counter to the T-34, and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV; while never replacing the latter, it served alongside it as...

     chassis 347 produced (1943 to 1945).
  • Bergetiger
    Bergetiger
    The Bergetiger was the name the Allied forces gave to a German World War II armored tracked vehicle based on the Tiger I chassis. The vehicle was found abandoned on a roadside in Italy with terminal engine problems. The main gun had been removed, and a boom & winch assembly had been fitted to the...

    - PzKpfw VI Tiger I chassis
  • Bergepanzer 38(t) - Jagdpanzer 38
    Hetzer
    The Jagdpanzer 38 , later known as Hetzer , was a German light tank destroyer of the Second World War based on a modified Czechoslovakian Panzer 38 chassis. The project was inspired by the Romanian "Mareşal" tank destroyer.The name Hetzer was at the time not commonly used for this vehicle...

     chassis, 170 produced (1944 to 1945).
  • Bergepanzer T-34 - Captured T-34
    T-34
    The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...

     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
    Canadian Forces
    The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...

     since 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. Succsesor of the Wisent. Build by Flensburger Fahrzeugbau.

Israel

  • Trail Blazer (Gordon) (Sherman chassis) - An IDF
    Israel Defense Forces
    The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...

     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.
  • "Techincal" and "Fitter" - ARVs based on the M-113 with crane attached
  • Nemera - modern recovery vehicle based on Merkava
    Merkava
    The Merkava is a main battle tank used by the Israel Defense Forces. The tank began development in 1974 and was first introduced in 1978. Four main versions of the tank have been deployed. It was first used extensively in the 1982 Lebanon War...

     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
    IDF Caterpillar D9
    The Israeli Armored CAT D9 — nicknamed Doobi — is a Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer that was modified by the Israel Defence Forces, Israeli Military Industries and Israel Aerospace Industries to increase the survivability of the armored bulldozer in hostile environments and enable it...

     armoured bulldozer
    Armored bulldozer
    The armored bulldozer is a basic tool of combat engineering. These combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer with armor which protects the vehicle and its operator in or near combat. Most are civilian bulldozers modified by addition of vehicle armor/military...

    .

Mexico

  • M32 Chenca (Sherman chassis) - In 1998, Napco International of the USA upgraded M32B1 TRV M4 Sherman
    M4 Sherman
    The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...

    -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 Chasis)
  • WZT-1
    WZT
    WZT was a Polish post-World War II armoured recovery vehicle series. It consists of five versions....

    (T-54 and T-55 Chassis)
  • WZT-2
    WZT
    WZT was a Polish post-World War II armoured recovery vehicle series. It consists of five versions....

    (T-55 Chassis)
  • WZT-3 (T-72M Chassis)
  • WZT-4 (PT-91M Chassis) produced for Malaysia
  • WPT-TOPAS (TOPAS Chassis)
  • WPT-MORS (MTLB Chassis)

Serbia/Yugoslavia

  • M-84ABI - The ARV based on Yugoslav/Serbian M-84
    M-84
    The M-84 is a Yugoslav 2nd generation main battle tank. The M-84 is in service in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kuwait, Slovenia and Serbia.-Development and production:...

     MBT.
  • VIU-55 Munja
    VIU-55 Munja
    VIU-55 Munja is a combat engineering vehicle produced by Serbia. VTI has done the conceptual design of the Munja general-purpose engineer vehicle and the Čačak-based Overhaul Depot has built the vehicle...


Soviet Union

  • BTS-2 (T-54 Chassis)
  • BTS-4A (T-54 Chassis)
  • BREM-1 (T-72 Chassis)
  • BREM-2 (BMP-1 Chassis)
  • BREM-L (BMP-3 Chassis)
  • BREM-K (BTR-80 Chassis)
  • BREM-80U (T-80U Chassis)

United Kingdom

Second World War
  • Cavalier ARV
    Cavalier tank
    The Tank, Cruiser, Mk VII Cavalier was an unsuccessful design of British cruiser tank during World War II. It suffered from an underpowered engine, and problems because of the rush to design and build it.- Development :...

  • Churchill ARV
    Churchill tank
    The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV was a heavy British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war...

  • Grant ARV
    M3 Lee
    The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called "General Lee", named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and the modified version built with a new turret was called the "General Grant", named after U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant.Design commenced...

  • Sherman III ARV I - Amoured Recovery Vehicle conversion of Sherman III (M4A2), similarly "Sherman V ARV Mark I" and "ARV Mark II", but the Sherman II ARV Mk III was a M32B1 TRV (see US ARV).


Modern
  • Centurion ARV
    Centurion tank
    The Centurion, introduced in 1945, was the primary British main battle tank of the post-World War II period. It was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades...

  • FV 220 Conqueror ARV
    Conqueror tank
    The FV 214 Conqueror, also known as "Tank, Heavy No. 1, 120 mm Gun, Conqueror" was a British heavy tank of the post-war era. It was developed as a response to the Soviet Joseph Stalin IS-3 heavy tanks and carried a larger 120 mm gun compared to the 20-pounder gun carried by its peer the...

  • Chieftain ARV
    Chieftain tank
    The FV 4201 Chieftain was the main battle tank of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s. It was one of the most advanced tanks of its era, and at the time of its introduction in 1966 had the most powerful main gun and heaviest armour of any tank in the world...

  • FV434
    FV430 series
    The FV430 series covers a number of armoured fighting vehicles of the British Army, all built on the same chassis. The most common of the series is the FV432 armoured personnel carrier....

  • M578
    M578 Light Recovery Vehicle
    M578 Light Recovery Vehicle was a US Cold War era armored recovery vehicle. The M578 utilized the same chassis as M107 Self-Propelled Gun and M110 Self-Propelled Howitzer. The M578 provided maintenance support to mechanized infantry and artillery units...

  • Challenger ARV
  • FV106 Samson
    FV106 Samson
    FV106 Samson is a British Army armoured recovery vehicle, one of the CVR family. The main role of this vehicle is to recover the CVR family of vehicles, but can recover other light tracked vehicles such as the FV430 series.-Design and features:...



BARV (WWII to Modern)
  • The BARV
    BARV
    The Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle is a British military support vehicle used for amphibious landings.There have been three different BARVs in British service since their introduction during World War II...

     is a British military support vehicle, the name coming from "Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle" built on the M4A2 Sherman, M3A5 Grant
    M3 Lee
    The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called "General Lee", named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and the modified version built with a new turret was called the "General Grant", named after U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant.Design commenced...

    , Centurion
    Centurion tank
    The Centurion, introduced in 1945, was the primary British main battle tank of the post-World War II period. It was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades...

    , and Leopard 1A5
    Leopard tank
    The Leopard is a main battle tank designed and produced in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were thought to make conventional heavy armour of limited value, the Leopard focussed on firepower in the form of the German-built version of the...

     tanks.

United States

  • M31 Tank Recovery Vehicle - based on M3 Lee
    M3 Lee
    The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called "General Lee", named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and the modified version built with a new turret was called the "General Grant", named after U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant.Design commenced...

     chassis.
  • M32 Tank Recovery Vehicle, or M32 TRV, based on the Sherman tank
    M4 Sherman
    The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...

     chassis with turret replaced by fixed superstructure, 60000 lb (27,215.5 kg) winch and an 18 feet (5.5 m) 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 movers
      Artillery tractor
      Artillery tractor is a kind of tractor, also referred to as a gun tractor, a vehicle used to tow artillery pieces of varying weights.-Traction:...

      ).
      • 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 Tank Recovery Vehicle
    M74 Tank Recovery Vehicle
    The M74 tank recovery vehicle was an engineer vehicle used by the U.S. Army in the 1950s.-History:Based on the M4A3 medium tank, it was developed to cope with the heavier M26 Pershing and M47 Patton which were entering service, which the M32 was unable to retrieve. Using the standard Ford GAA and...

    - Upgrade of the M32 to provide the same capability with regards to 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
    M578 Light Recovery Vehicle
    M578 Light Recovery Vehicle was a US Cold War era armored recovery vehicle. The M578 utilized the same chassis as M107 Self-Propelled Gun and M110 Self-Propelled Howitzer. The M578 provided maintenance support to mechanized infantry and artillery units...

     - based on the M110
    M110 howitzer
    The 8 inch Self-Propelled Howitzer M110 was the largest available self-propelled howitzer in the United States Army's inventory. It was deployed in division artillery in general support battalions and in separate corps- and Army-level battalions. Missions include general support, counter-battery...

     chassis.
  • M88 Recovery Vehicle - based on the chassis and parts of the automotive component of the M48 Patton
    M48 Patton
    The M48 Patton is a medium tank that was designed in the United States. It was the third and final tank to be officially named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest American advocates for the use of tanks in battle It was a...

     & M60 Patton
    M60 Patton
    The 105 mm Gun Full Tracked Combat Tank, M60, also known unofficially as the M60 Patton, is a first-generation main battle tank introduced in December 1960. It was widely used by the U.S. and its Cold War allies, especially those in NATO, and remains in service throughout the world today...

    .

See also

  • Allied Technological Cooperation During WW2
  • Armoured warfare
    Armoured warfare
    Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....

  • Army engineering maintenance
    Army engineering maintenance
    Army engineering maintenance consists of those engineers, technicians,and military organizations responsible for the expert repair and maintenance of army vehicles, weapon systems, and other equipment....

  • List of AFVs
  • Tank transporter
    Tank transporter
    A tank transporter is a specialized road vehicle for the transport of tanks, to and from the battlefield or during peacetime. They are necessary to limit the mileage of the tracked vehicles and also to reduce wear on road surfaces which can easily be damaged by such heavy vehicles...


External links

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