Development

The first prototype of the Bergepanzer 4KH7FA-SB 20 GREIF recovery tank was built in 1974. Series production began in 1976-77. It entered service with the Austrian Army's engineer units in 1977. Between 1999 and 2000, a second series of vehicles was produced for the armies of Botswana and Brazil.

Arrangement

The vehicle is intended for technical support of the engineer units of the Austrian army, recovery of stranded and damaged equipment, light landscaping, road maintenance in the area of operation of the units.

Description

The vehicle was built on the machine base of the SK 105 Kürassier tank fighter. The running wheels, five on each side of the hull, are complemented by a drive wheel at the rear and a tension wheel at the front. The first and last pair of running wheels are equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers. The chassis is also equipped with load-bearing pulleys, three on each side of the hull.

A hydraulically-operated tracking plow is installed in the front of the hull, designed to stabilize the vehicle during extrication of stranded equipment and for light terrain modification.


The hull is welded from steel plates and provides the crew with protection against missiles up to 7.62 mm calibre and shrapnel from hand grenades. The original 105 mm gun turret has been replaced by a robust welded superstructure with working space for a crew of four. The crew compartment is accessed by two doors on the left side of the hull and two hatches on the hull ceiling.

The engine compartment is located at the rear of the hull. The vehicle is powered by a 6-cylinder water-cooled Steyr 7FA turbocharged four-stroke diesel engine with 240 kW (320 hp). Above the engine compartment there is a special platform with toolboxes for tools, spare parts and special equipment.


The right front part of the hull houses the crane boom swivel platform. When folded, the boom takes up the entire right outer part of the superstructure. With a lifting capacity of 6 tons, it is able to conveniently carry out a full turret change of the SK 105 tank fighter in field conditions.

The main winch with a pulling force of 20 tons is located at the bottom of the front face of the hull. Its pulling force allows the SK 105 tank destroyer to be unloaded and towed.

The vehicle is armed with a 12.7mm M2HB machine gun, lapped on the commander's hatch, designed to protect the vehicle itself from enemy live fire and low-flying targets. To create a smoke screen, the vehicle is equipped with four smoke grenade launchers. The carried firing diameter is 1,500 rounds of 12.7mm machine gun ammunition.

The crew compartment is equipped with a ventilation system and independent heating. The vehicle is not equipped with a filter-ventilation system against WMD.

Special vehicle equipment:
- crane boom with a capacity of 6 tons, unloading length of 3.9 m and working range of 234 degrees, rope length of 42 m,
- winch with a pulling force of 200 kN (20 tons) rope length of 95 m and rope diameter of 24 mm,
- hydraulic monitoring plough with a capacity of 150 m³/h,
- engineer's rig for small-scale blasting work, stored in a box on a special platform above the engine compartment,
- electric arc welding and cutting rig,
- tow bar,
- pulley set for extrication of trapped equipment

Resources:
Ing. Miloš Soukup Modern Military Equipment Tanks Volume 5, published by Military System Line s.r.o. as first edition in 1999, ISBN 80-902669-1-6.
www.armyrecognition.com