With the introduction of the M1A1 Abrams main battle tank into Service, the US Army's existing tank transporters were unable to carry the load. A contract was therefore awarded to the Oshkosh Truck Corporation to develop and manufacture a new heavy duty tank transporter which emerged as the M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter; an order for an initial 522 units was originally placed and production commenced during July 1992. Up to date 1 179 tractors and trailers are built. The M1070 replaced the M911 and M747 heavy equipment transporters in service with the US Army.
The M1070 HET is a powerful tractor truck with an 8 x 8 drive configuration and advanced features such as an electronic engine control system to ensure maximum efficiency at all times, and an 'air ride' rear suspension to ensure all axles remain in contact with the ground at all times while smoothing out the worst round terrain shocks to the chassis frame. To assist traction further, across rough terrain, another standard feature is a central tyre inflation system (CTIS). Unlike the previous transporters the M1070 is designed to carry both the tank and it's crew.
The engine remains the same as the earlier M911 but is uprated to deliver 500 hp and coupled to an automatic transmission. Another novel feature is the power-assisted steering system which synchronizes the wheel movements on the front and rear axles to improve maneuverability in narrow confines.
The 25 ton loading winches are fitted as standard together with an auxiliary winch to handle cables and for general utility purposes. One improvement over earlier US Army tank transporters is that the cab has more space, for the crew including main battle tank crew. The usual tank-carrying semi-trailer used with the M1070 HET is the M1000. Despite it's bulk the M1070 heavy equipment transporter can be airlifted in an aircraft, although they have to be as large as a C-141 or C-5 to accommodate the tractor truck.
Miletary Equipment:
Aircraft
Helicopters
Tanks
Armored
Artellery
military Trucks
Naval Forces
Firearms
Miletary Equipment:
Aircraft
Helicopters
Tanks
Armored
Artellery
military Trucks
Naval Forces
Firearms
