M578 Light Recovery Vehicle
M578 LRV | |
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An early US Army M578, circa 1965. | |
Type | Armored recovery vehicle |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
Used by | Israel, USA, UK |
Wars | Vietnam war |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | 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 |
| |
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[1] was run through a crane on the cab. Another winch, 60,000 lb (27,000 kg) capacity,[1] 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
- United Kingdom: British Army
- United States: United States Army
- Vietnam: Army of the Republic of Vietnam
See also
References
- TM 9-2320-238 dated 1963-1964
- TM 9-2350-238 dated 1963-1962
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to M578 Light Recovery Vehicle. |