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FV434

Armoured Repair/Recovery Vehicle

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated May 13, 2025
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

The FV434 is the Armoured Repair Vehicle variant of the British Army's FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicles. Introduced in the 1960s primarily as a means of quickly changing Chieftain MBT power packs in the field, it is operated by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). It is still used by the REME.

01Description

Officially designated FV434 Carrier, Maintenance, Full Tracked, the FV434's primary role is to repair disabled and damaged vehicles, but it also has a limited recovery capability. It is fitted with a crane (capable of lifting up to 3 tons) to assist its work in repairing armoured and un-armoured vehicles. The FV434 is capable of changing other FV430 series power packs, however, it is unable to handle the power pack the British Army's Challenger 2 main battle tank - this is done by Challenger armoured recovery vehicle in forward areas and soft skin repair vehicles in base areas.

In addition to the crane, the FV434 is fitted with a fold-away work bench to the rear of the vehicle. Like its personnel carrier version, it is capable of amphibious operations with the aid of a flotation screen. Once in the water, it is propelled by its tracks at up to 5.6 km/h. It is crewed by four soldiers: commander, driver and two fitters.

02Examples on display

  • The REME Museum has an example of a FV434.
  • The Norfolk Tank Museum has a restored and running example currently on display.
  • The Australian Armour and Artillery Museum has a running example currently on display.
Watch videos about FV434Explainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “FV434”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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Armoured recovery vehicle

An armoured recovery vehicle is typically a powerful tank or armoured personnel carrier (APC) chassis modified for use during combat for military vehicle recovery (towing) or repair of battle-damaged, stuck, and/or inoperable armoured fighting vehicles, such as tanks and armoured personnel carriers. Most ARVs have motorized tracks, like a tank or bulldozer, enabling the ARV to operate on uneven ground.

List of FV series military vehicles

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Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is the arm of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's professional engineers".