M578 Light Recovery Vehicle
M578 LRV | |
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An early US Army M578, circa 1965. | |
Type | Armored recovery vehicle |
Place of origin |
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Service history | |
Used by | Israel, United States, UK |
Wars | Vietnam war |
Production history | |
Manufacturer |
FMC Corp. (vehicle body), General Motors Corp. (transmission)[1] Bowen-McLaughlin-York |
Produced | 1962 |
Specifications | |
Weight | 54,000 lbs (24,000 kg) |
Length | 18 ft 3.8 in (5.583 m) |
Width | 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) |
Height | 8 ft 7.5 in (2.629 m) |
Crew |
3 men: Crane operator in cab right front Rigger in cab left front Driver in hull left front |
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Main armament | .50-caliber M2HB machine gun |
Engine |
General Motors 8V71T; 8 cylinder, 2 cycle, vee, supercharged diesel 345 hp @ 2,300 rpm |
Operational range | 450 miles (724 km) |
Speed | 37 mph (60 km/h) |
M578 Light Recovery Vehicle (G309) was an American 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. Its primary mission was to recover damaged light armored vehicles from the battlefield using its crane boom.
Operation
The cab can rotate 360°, and a 30,000 lb (13,600 kg) capacity winch[2] was run through a crane on the cab. Another winch, 60,000 lb (27,000 kg) capacity,[2] was mounted on the front of the cab. Access to the cab was through a door on each side and by double doors in the rear, and the crane operator and rigger both had vision cupolas in the cab roof.
Users
Austria: Austrian Army
Brazil: Brazilian Army
Denmark: Royal Danish Army
Egypt: Egyptian Army
Greece: Hellenic Army
Israel: Israel Defense Forces
Jordan: Royal Jordanian Land Force
Lebanon: Lebanese Armed Forces
Morocco: Royal Moroccan Army
Turkey: Turkish Army
United Kingdom: British Army
United States: United States Army
Vietnam: Army of the Republic of Vietnam
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Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabian Army
See also
References
- ↑ Defense Industry Bulletin, April 1968, p. 47.
- 1 2 Ripley, Tim. The new illustrated guide to the modern US Army. Salamander Books Ltd. pp. 138–139. ISBN 0-86101-671-8.
- TM 9-2320-238 dated 1963-1964
- TM 9-2350-238 dated 1963-1962
External links
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