What is the M88A2 Hercules, the U.S. military vehicle at the center of Lithuania recovery mission?
Questions remain after Fort Stewart soldiers were found dead in Lithuania, days after going missing during a training exercise.
The Vehicle operate is the M88A2 Hercules. It is the largest military vehicle that we have to offer today as well. It was designed to pull the M1 Abrams by itself with the braking system as well. So before you, you would have to have 2 A1s, MADA1s to pull one Abrams. Uh, but now since the upgrade, now it’s getting to the point where it could just be *** 1 for 1 ratio now. I really enjoy what I do. Uh, my MOS is very lucrative. Not all the units have the M1I pallidin or track vehicles in general. I like tracks. I’ve, I’ve liked heavy equipment, so that’s why I’ve stayed here.
What is the M88A2 Hercules, the U.S. military vehicle at the center of Lithuania recovery mission?
Questions remain after Fort Stewart soldiers were found dead in Lithuania, days after going missing during a training exercise.
Updated: 1:09 PM EDT Mar 31, 2025
Above video: Spotlighting the M88 Hercules (video: DVIDS)Many questions remain after three of four Fort Stewart soldiers were found dead in Lithuania, days after going missing during a training exercise.Some of those questions revolve around the type of vehicle they were operating, an M88A2 Hercules. MORE COVERAGE Missing Fort Stewart Soldiers: 3 of 4 found deadWife identifies husband as one of 4 Fort Stewart soldiers missing in LithuaniaSecretary of Defense comments on missing Fort Stewart soldiersHere is some information and background about the vehicle and what it does:The Hercules is manufactured by BAE Systems, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of an international defense, aerospace and security companyThe company is headquartered in Falls Church, Va. and employs 41,000 people across its operations in the U.S., the United Kingdom and SwedenBAE Systems, Inc.’s 2023 sales generated $13.6 billionHercules is the acronym for Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation SystemAccording to the company’s website, the Hercules is a recovery vehicle, used to rescue combat vehicles that go over an embankment, sink into the mud or wind up disabled in battleThe vehicle weighs 63 tons (140,000 pounds), can travel 26 to 30 miles per hour and can carry up to 7 peopleIt was heavily utilized in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was used to topple the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad on April 9, 2003Below file video: Secretary of Defense comments on missing soldiers
Above video: Spotlighting the M88 Hercules (video: DVIDS)
Many questions remain after three of four Fort Stewart soldiers were found dead in Lithuania, days after going missing during a training exercise.
Some of those questions revolve around the type of vehicle they were operating, an M88A2 Hercules.
MORE COVERAGE
Here is some information and background about the vehicle and what it does:
- The Hercules is manufactured by BAE Systems, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of an international defense, aerospace and security company
- The company is headquartered in Falls Church, Va. and employs 41,000 people across its operations in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Sweden
- BAE Systems, Inc.’s 2023 sales generated $13.6 billion
- Hercules is the acronym for Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System
- According to the company’s website, the Hercules is a recovery vehicle, used to rescue combat vehicles that go over an embankment, sink into the mud or wind up disabled in battle
- The vehicle weighs 63 tons (140,000 pounds), can travel 26 to 30 miles per hour and can carry up to 7 people
- It was heavily utilized in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was used to topple the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad on April 9, 2003
Below file video: Secretary of Defense comments on missing soldiers
