Weight: 54.7-tons (49,620-kg)

Length: 28’1” (8.56-m)

Width: 11’7” (3.53-m)

Height: 11’3” (3.43-m)

Crew: 2

Weapons:

-Primary

7.62-mm machine gun

-Ammunition

2,000 x 7.62-mm

Engine: 6-cylinder/12-opposed-piston multi-fuel 720-hp

Power/weight: 13.1-hp/ton

Fuel Capacity: 251-USG (950-l)

Range: 280-miles (450-km)

Speed: 30-mph (48-km/h)

The vehicle offered, Chieftain ARV, vehicle registration number 07FF05, is an unrestored vehicle and is in it's original black and dark green colors. The exterior paint is in good condition. All mirrors and exterior lights are present. The wheels and tracks are in good condition. It runs well, but appears to need a new starter solenoid. The driver's controls appear complete. The interior will need a cosmetic restoration. A maintenance plate in the driver's compartment indicates that this vehicle underwent some sort of update in August 1989. Cables, shackles and chains are included with the vehicle.

The FV4204 Armored Recovery Vehicle (Chieftain) Mk 5 was originally built from the same hull as the Chieftain Mk5 as a vehicle designed purely for the recovery role and nothing else. To do this, it was equipped with a double-capstan winch with electrohydraulic controls provided with 400-ft (122-m) of 1.1-in (28-mm) cable. An auxiliary winch is also fitted, which has 850-ft (260-m) of 0.43-in (11-mm) cable. Both are powered by the main engine. When combined with the earth anchor/bulldozer blade at the front, the vehicle could exert a pull of up to 198,410-lbs (90,000-kg).

A novelty for British ARVs was the fitting of the anchor and winch to the front of the vehicle, allowing the crew to undertake recovery operation from within the vehicle using the periscopes.

After the FV434 Maintenance Carrier (Fitters’Vehicle) based on the M113-like FV432 proved to be incapable of reliably lifting the latest power packs, particularly from Challenger, it was decided to retrofit the Chieftain ARV with a hydraulic crane with a lift capacity of 6.5-tons. This modification in the mid-1980s resulted in a new role for the vehicle, that of repair and not just recovery, hence the name changes to ARRV. It was also assigned to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. The name was later changed again to CHARRV, the “CH” standing for ‘Chieftain’ to distinguish it from the CRARRV Challenger variant, which entered service in the late 1980s.

There is a mounting point for a spare power pack (engine and transmission assembly) to be attached to the rear of the vehicle above the engine deck, but this made the overall silhouette too large and conspicuous, and also prevented the vehicle going under man bridges. As a result, a special trailer was made to haul the power packs. Still, these trailers were dispenses with the 1991 Gulf War given that the wide open desert was not expected to have many bridges to contend with.

Though the Chieftain gun tank was out of British Army service by 1996, the specialty variants did continue in service until 2007. A few were sent to Jordan when they received ex-British Challenger tanks.

Transport Cost to Storage: $4,300