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M578 Light Armored Recovery Vehicle [VTR]

The M107 self propelled 175 mm gun and the M110 self propelled 8in (203 mm) howitzer were both characterized by rapid barrel wear and the need to be able to change the barrels frequently and simply. The US Army developed a crane for this purpose based on the tracked vehicle as the guns themselves. It has a turret with a boom rather than a gun barrel, and a winch which gave it a recovery as well as a lifting potential. This equipment, the M578, was issued to those artillery units using the guns during the 1970s. When the guns were withdrawn from service the M578 was redesignated a Light Armored Recovery Vehicle [VTR], used to recover damaged vehicles from the battlefield. The hydraulic crane is housed in a turret mounted at the rear of the chassis. a stabilizing spade hydraulically lowers from the rear.  Used in both Vietnam war and Desert Storm.

Specifications

Name M578 Light Armored Recovery Vehicle
Crew 3
Combat Weight 53,573 lb; Air portable 45,069 lb
Hull length 18ft 4 in overall 21f 1 in
Width 10ft 4 in
Height 9ft 7in
Ground Clearance 12ft 4in
Track Width 16 in
Main Armamet 12.7mm HB anti-aircrat gun with 500 rounds
Secondary Armament none
Sensors and Fire Control none
Armor na
Powerplant Detroit Diesel 8V71T 425-hp liquid-cooled turbocharged V-8 diesel engine, Allison XTG-411-2A powershift crossdrive transimission with 4 forwrd and / 2 reverse
Spension torsion bars, 5 road wheels, front drive, no idler, no return rollers
Speed 34 mph, range 450 miles
Obstacle Clearence vertical 3ft 4 in , fording 3ft 6 in


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http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m578.htm
Maintained by Robert Sherman
Originally created by John Pike
Updated Saturday, September 12, 1998 6:35:55 AM