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Rick_Eshleman

Counter Obstacle vehicle. US Army Engineer vehicle program ran from 1982-1986. Like most Engineer vehicles, it either appears in small numbers, like the M9 Armored Combat Earthmover, or doesn't get to the production stage. This was a joint project with Isreal Defense Force, with the prototype being built in 1985. Based on the M88A1 ARV chassis (modified) the second prototype went to the IDF for testing. The US Army tested the vehicle extensively at Ft. Belvoir, VA, and it later served with the OPFOR at the National Training Center, Ft. Irwin, CA. Is this vehicle still at Ft. Irwin?
The M88A1 chassis was also selected for the next demonstrator prototype, the Combat Mobility Vehicle. I have limited information on this vehicle, other that it was proposed as a limited production program, around 1991. How many built, where are they today?
Of course the Grizzly at Aberdeen Museum was a later Obstacle Breaching vehicle. Does anyone have information on how many prototypes were built, and where they ended up? I'm interested in recent photos and production data. Thanks, Rick

Rick_Eshleman

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Joe_D

We called this vehicle "JAWS" at NTC.

It was assigned to the 32nd MRR (OPFOR) when I was stationed there (87-89). Was used with us to simulate the Soviet IMR type obstacle/mine clearing vehicles. I have watched this vehicle literally plow through wire and mine fields, usually getting killed but not before busting through (The Engineers/Infantry would literally provide a Phalanx of BMP's to shield it from direct fire up to the obstacle and also smoke the hell out of the breach site). If the Blueforce dug an AT ditch, it would swing out both buckets, grab the dirt from the opposite side, fill the ditch then cross. The operators were very skilled and could accomplish this feat literally in minutes (although seemed like forever to us tank crews waiting to pour through). Then the fun started, with the MRB trying to push everything through this choke point, with tanks and BMP's bouncing into each other occasionally, all the while watching the engineers on foot marking the breech for the follow on MRB and being amazed none got squished dodging all of us. Mind you this was done a lot with heavy smoke or at first light before the sun came up. Got killed just short of the obstacle once and got to watch this thing in action from the top of my tank.

Unfortunately I have no pictures of this beast. Was at NTC in 92 and "JAW's" was gone. Asked around and the story I got was once funding stopped the vehicle itself was done, was a hydraulic nightmare, requiring lot's of maintenance provided by the contractors. Was hauled off to where unknown to those I asked. The Operations group had tons of archived video from that time period, "JAW's" being featured prominently in many. I would hope they kept these films for historical reasons and lessons learned. I guess it would be a matter of finding the right person at Irwin to gain access to this footage, surely they still have it. I did spend some time with the crew during a change of command display. They told me there were only two in existence, and this was the summer of 1988. Always wondered if either one survived, most never heard of it.

Rick_Eshleman

Joe,
Thanks for the interesting description of the COV "Jaws"! It may still exist somewhere at the NTC? Who knows where the Isreali COV got to, it could be sitting in a scrap yard over there?

Rick

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