page_title: Armoured recovery vehicle
section_title: United States
hierarchical_section_title: Armoured recovery vehicle / List / United States
caption_attribution_description: Light recovery vehicle M558 at Detroit Arsenal
context_page_description: An armoured recovery vehicle is typically a powerful tank or armoured personnel carrier chassis modified for use during combat for towing or repair of battle-damaged, stuck, and/or inoperable armoured fighting vehicles, 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" 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 regular 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 armored 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.
context_section_description: M25 Tank Transporter- 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, 60,000 lb (27,000 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 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 & M60 Patton.
  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.
caption: An M578 Light Recovery Vehicle. Note the heavy machine gun mounted on top, for self-defense.
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