 There has been no major deviation in battlefield role through the M88 series, the later models are merely able to lift heavier loads.The M88A1 was designed around the now obsolete M60 Patton tanks, so it was in light of the fact that two M88A1s were required to tow the new M1 Abrams tank that the decision was made to upgrade to the M88A2 in 1991.On February 20, 2017, it was announced that the United States Army had contracted BAE Systems Land and Armaments a $28 million contract modification for the procurement of 11 M88A2 recovery vehicles.