“We will carry out a campaign characterized by shock, by surprise, by flexibility ... and by the application of overwhelming force.”
- CENTCOM commander General Tommy Franks commenting on the conduct of Operation: Iraqi Freedom, March 21st, 2003
An armored recovery vehicle (ARV) is a type of armored fighting vehicle used to repair battle- or mine-damaged as well as broken-down armored vehicles during combat, or to tow them out of the danger zone for more extensive repairs.
ARVs are normally built on the chassis of a main battle tank (MBT), but some are also constructed on the basis of other armored fighting vehicles, mostly armored personnel carriers (APCs). ARVs are usually built on the basis of a vehicle in the same class as they are supposed to recover—thus, 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.
Pictured here is a French Leclerc ARRV / DCL Recovery Vehicle. Sold Out! |
