The M1089 belongs to the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) developed by Stewart & Stevenson in the USA.  The FMTV are a series of 4 x4 and 6 x 6 tactical vehicles designed for use over all types of terrain in all weather conditions.  The M1089 has been designed to meet the recovery needs of medium vehicles including NZ LAV.  The vehicle is also capable of limited maintenance and repair support.

As a Recovery Vehicle it is fitted with two winches at the rear, a Materials Handling Crane, a lift and tow (stinger) mechanism and a side mounted self recovery winch.

The two rear winches have a straight line pull of 13,600kg each with a total straight line pull of 27,600kg. The side mounted self recovery winch which is deployable to the front of the vehicle has a straight line pull of 4,990kg.

The Material Handling Crane in the centre of the vehicle has a maximum lift capability of 4,540kg at 3 meters and 3,200kg at 6.8 meters.

The major characteristics of the M1089 are:

• Height - 2.85m
• Width - 2.44m
• Length - 9.14m
• Gross Vehicle Weight - 20,676kg

The M1089 can also tow a 17 tonne recovery trailer for the movement of casualty vehicles.