KADDB AB1 Monjed P2 ARRV

     Notes: Also known as the AB1, the Jordanians still have a number of M-47-based repair and recovery vehicle in service, even now in 2016. Though the pioneering work on converting M-47s to ARVs was done by the US and Germany, many countries who have obsolete M-47 tanks have converted them to ARVs or AEVs.  The Jordanian’s M-47 ARV was first produced as an experiment, to see if could recover newer tanks and armored vehicles.  It proved quite capable of servicing those vehicles, including the more modern tanks that the Jordanians now used.  It takes many components from other ARVs, including the American M-88, and the British Chieftain and Centurion ARVs.  The M-47 ARRV fist entered Jordanian service in 2001.  Some 20 have been modified in such manner, and used only by the Jordanian Army.

     Like virtually all heavy ARVs, they are based on tank chassis, in this case the M-47.  The turret is removed and replaced by low superstructure, and the turret basket is plated over, and the equipment removed, and replaced by a large open area.  At the front is a large hydraulically-actuated dozer blade which is attached just outside of the final drives, and moved by the final drives when the vehicle is doing its recovery duties.  It is lowered to the ground to dig fighting positions and remove obstacles, and lowered a bit more to brace the crane.  The blade is 3.4 meters high and 750 centimeters high.  The ATLAS crane, fitted to the Chieftain ARV, is mounted on the front right side and can be rotated 280 degrees.  It has a reach of 3.3 meters and can lift 6.5 tons; maximum lift height is 4.4 meters.  On the front of the vehicle, high enough to clear the dozer blade when it is in the down position, is a winch, taken from the M-88A1.  It has a pulling capacity of 28 tons, or double with block and pulley; is has 157 meters of usable cable.  Once the vehicle is recovered, the AB1 can tow a vehicle of up to 60 tons, if it is not mobile.

     The driver is on the front right side below the roofline, with the commander behind him in a manually-operated cupola.  He has a machinegun on a pintle mount. The cupola is identical to that found on the M-113 series.  The basic crew is two, driver/mechanic and commander/mechanic, though a third mechanic may be carried on a seat in the hull. The crew has air conditioning, a heater, and NBC Overpressure, even though much of the crew’s tasks must be carried out outside of the AB1.  A GPS/GLONASS system has been added.  On each side of the glacis is a

     The original powerpack of the M-47 chassis has been replaced by a smaller but more powerful AVDS-1790-2DR taken from an M-88A1; this would seem to indicate that the chassis used is that of an M-47M.   It has a fully-automatic transmission, and the gearing of the engine may be uncoupled from the wheels and the power applied to the crane or winch.  The engine is a turbocharged diesel that provides 750 horsepower at 2400 rpm, and has a lot of torque.  Track skirts taken from Centurion tanks, have been attached to the sides of the AB1.  Of course, the AB1 carries a large selection of tools, including basic, tracked vehicle, wheeled vehicle, power, and pioneer tools.  Also carried are an arc welder, an air compressor, two 40-ton hydraulic jacks, a hand-held circular saw (as used by firefighters), a “jaws of life,”  a tow bar, and a selection of spare parts.  It has a small computer that has a database of repair and recovery solutions.

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

$1,532,875

D, A

6 tons

42 tons

2+1

20

Image Intensification (D)

Shielded

 

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor*

138/96

38/27

1514

298

Stnd

T5

HF50  HS14  HR8

 

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

None

None

M-2HB (C)

660x.50

*The dozer blade may protect the AB1 from frontal hits.  Whether it does so depends upon where the shot hits and how high the blade is raised.  The blade has an AV of 10Sp.