Soon another tranche of Abrams M1A2Sepv3 tanks will arrive in Poland and the first mill fresh H88A2 Hercules method safety wagons. presently the military uses utilized machines of this type, which were purchased with Abrams M1A1FEP. All Herculeses are to be serviced, repaired and improved in Poznań Military Automotive Plant.
During MSPO 2025 Polish army presents equipment and weapons from all types of troops at the Armed Forces Exhibition. At the Kielce Fair you can see, among another things, Technical safety vehicle H88A2 Hercules. Although this equipment was produced in the 1990s, it is inactive of large interest to visitors.
Hercules' Power
No wonder. H88A2 Hercules, or dense Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lifting Extraction System, is simply a actual armored colostrum. The weight of the wagon is over 63 t, which is more than until late had basic tanks of the Polish army, i.e. PT-91 Tough and T-72.
Its dimensions are closely related to the tasks that await him on the battlefield. As noted by Paul Zukowski, manager of global Business improvement Platforms and Systems Europe at BAE Systems, which produces Hercules, These wagons are meant to aid repair tanks in the battlefield. – They are not utilized to tow back, but to assist on the front line. Therefore, the crew is protected with armor, as is the strategical systems of the vehicle – he explains.
Implementation: Krzysztof Wilewski, Marcin Kopeć
Dimensions of H88A2 are: over 8,5 m long, 3.6 m wide and 3.12 m high. The Continental AVDS-1790-8CR engine generates a power of 1050 hp, allowing Hercules to accelerate to a maximum velocity of 48 km/h and gives an adequate power supply to lift ten-ton weights specified as the Abrams Tower or its engine.
Poland has 14 utilized Herculeses, which it bought along with US Marine Corps withdrawn tanks Abrams M1A1FEP. erstwhile the Ministry of Defence contracted fresh Abrams tanks (in version M1A2Sepv3), at the same time ordered 26 mill fresh method safety cars. Their first tranche is already on its way to Poland and may inactive be transferred to units in September.
However, it is not only the battleships that rejoice in acquiring the Hercules. Under the agreement signed between the BAE strategy and the Polish Armed Forces Group, H88A2 are to be serviced and repaired in Poznań Military Automotive Plant and upgraded according to Polish expectations.
Paul Zukowski assures that Poznań specialists will take care not only of vehicles belonging to the Polish army, but besides of another countries, including the US Army. Let us remind you, the American army brought to Poland about a 100 Herculeses, whose repair behind the ocean would entail immense transport costs.
