The U.S. Army awarded Britain’s BAE Systems a $112 million contract to perform technical support and sustainment of M88 recovery vehicles, the company said Monday.
The M88 vehicle provides recovery support to troops in the field and is the only vehicle able to recover an M1 Abrams tank and all the vehicles required to maneuver with the Armored Brigade Combat Team during battle, BAE said.
The contract is called the Systems Technical Support and Sustainment Systems Technical Support. It was awarded by the Army’s TACOM Life Cycle Management Command and is for ongoing service and improvements with the M88A1 and M88A2 recovery vehicles for the next four years. BAE built both vehicle types.
Under the contract services and products will be delivered to the Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers in support of their 70-plus ton combat vehicle recovery requirements, BAE said.
Contract work will be performed at the company’s facilities in San Jose, Calif.; York, Pa.; and Sterling Heights, Mich. It will also be conducted by field service representatives stationed at international military facilities.
John G. Tile, director of Recovery Vehicles at BAE Systems, highlighted the importance of the M88.
“The M88 is critical to the military’s recovery missions of the heaviest vehicles in the fleet. Whether our vehicles are coming off the assembly line or deployed in theatre, we are committed to providing the highest quality vehicle and full life-cycle support of the M88,” Tile said in a statement.
“This award continues the long standing relationship of program management, engineering, logistics, and field service support to the Army and other customers of the M88 program,” he added.