Defense industry of Ukraine has developed a new version of a tracked Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV) based on the T-72 main battle tank chassis, nicknamed "Lev". The new vehicle was unveiled during a defense exhibition in Kiev, in October 2018.

New Lev ARV Armored Recovery Vehicle based on T-72 main battle tank chassis. (Picture source Ukroboronprom)

The Lev armored recovery vehicle is designed and developed by the Company Lviv Metal Armor Plant, a subdivision of Ukroboronprom, the association of State Defense Companies. The Lev has already been tested, it is used for towing and repairing battle-damaged military equipment in combat conditions.

The Lev ARV is based on the chassis of the T-72 series MBT with the driver's compartment at the front, crew compartment in the centre and the power pack at the rear. The hull provides the same level of protection as the T-72 MBT with the highest level of protection being over the frontal arc.

The Lev ARC is equipped with a crane mounted at the left on the top of the hull, which is capable of lifting up to 12 tons of freight, a 200-meter-long towing cable, and electric welding gear. The vehicle is also fitted with a cargo platform for transporting spare parts for the damaged military hardware.

A bulldozer equipment is mounted on the front of the hull and is hydraulically driven, with control via two push-buttons on the driver's main control handles. The blade is 3.1 m wide and can be used to create an MBT firing position in 20 minutes in heavy soil or 12 minutes in light sandy soil.

For its self-protection, the Lev ARV is armed with one 12.7mm machine gun mounted on the commander hatch. The vehicle has a crew of three.