Manitowoc Starts Delivering Military-Grade Grove All-Terrain Cranes to U.S. Army

Sept. 11, 2020 - The latest Grove all-terrain cranes that Manitowoc outfits specially for the U.S. Army are now leaving Shady Grove, Pennsylvania, for U.S. Army missions throughout the world.

Engineered and manufactured specifically for military use, the Grove GMK4060HC (HC for heavy crane) has features that make it ready to take on a variety of terrains and activities.

These latest cranes are part of a $192 million contract bid won by Manitowoc in 2015.

“These are very versatile cranes that will enable the Army to perform the lifts it needs for a wide variety of applications,” said Darryl Mellott, director of government marketing at Manitowoc. “These tough, durable cranes reflect what it means to be ‘Army Strong,’ and we’re proud to support our military, no matter where the battle is.”

The 60-U.S.-ton capacity, four-axle cranes feature a Megaform boom and were designed to meet the U.S. Army’s needs, including the ability to ford water up to 48” deep and to operate in harsh conditions.

The cranes will also be painted with Chemical Agent Resistant Coatings (CARC) to follow stringent nuclear and chemical attacks, meaning the paint won’t deteriorate under the same conditions as typical paint.

The military also asked that the cranes be outfitted to accept armored cabs. In addition, the cranes are upfitted with military spec lighting that allows cranes to operate in a blackout light condition when using night vision technologies.

For more on the design and testing of these cranes, see https://www.cranehotline.com/articles/9303/manitowoc_wins_bid_to_provide_cranes_to_us_army/  and https://secure.viewer.zmags.com/publication/003432e3#/003432e3/49.