Defense giant BAE Systems has announced that it was awarded a contract for M88 recovery vehicles for Poland.
As noted by the company, BAE Systems was awarded a $128 million contract to produce 26 M88A2 HERCULES recovery vehicles to equip the Polish Armed Forces.
The HERCULES, or Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lifting Extraction System, is a 70-ton behemoth designed to repair and extract vehicles while under fire in combat. It has seen action most noticeably in the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the War in Afghanistan.
The M88A2 employs an auxiliary power unit to provide electrical and hydraulic power when the main engine is not operating. It can also be used to “slave-start” other vehicles, provide power for hydraulic impact wrenches, and refuel or de-fuel other Marine Corps vehicles as required. The M88 series of vehicles can even refuel M1A1 Abrams tank variants from its own fuel reserve.
📰 NEWS: BAE Systems was awarded a $128 million contract for production of 26 #M88A2 HERCULES Recovery Vehicles to equip the Polish Armed Forces.#CombatVehicle #Poland pic.twitter.com/z2Spf7O0Bn
— BAE Systems, Inc. (@BAESystemsInc) December 21, 2022
In mid-December, the U.S. State Dept. cleared a possible sale of M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks to Poland. The possible sale also includes 12 M88A2 Hercules combat recovery vehicles, eight M1110 Joint Assault Bridges, six M577A3 command vehicles, 26 M1152A1 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, 26 M1279A1 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, and ammunition and supporting equipment.