The armoured bulldozer is a basic tool of combat engineering. These combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer with armour which protects the vehicle and its operator in or near combat. Most are civilian bulldozers modified by addition of vehicle armour/military equipment, but some are tanks stripped of armament and fitted with a dozer blade. Some tanks (called tankdozers) have bulldozer blades while retaining their armament, but this does not make them armoured bulldozers as such, because combat remains the primary role—earth moving is a secondary task.
The first armoured bulldozer (D7A) was developed by the British during World War II. This was a conventional Caterpillar D7bulldozer fitted with armour to protect the driver and the engine. The work was carried out by Jack Olding & Company Ltd of Hatfield. The bulldozer was one of several specialist armored vehicles that were collectively referred to as "Hobart's Funnies" and were operated by the British 79th Armoured Division in support of armoured assaults.
The bulldozers were produced in preparation for the Battle of Normandy with the tasks of clearing the invasion beaches of obstacles and quickly making roads accessible by clearing rubble and filling in bomb craters.
As Allied armies advanced through Europe, the armoured bulldozer was found to be too slow—there was a need for well-armoured, obstacle clearing vehicle that was fast enough to keep up with tank formations. This need was met by the Centaur Bulldozer—a Centaur tank with the turret removed and a bulldozer blade fitted. Centaur bulldozers were still in use with the British Army at the time of the Korean War.
Modern use
Armoured bulldozer of the Serbian armed forces
Modern armoured bulldozers are often based on the Caterpillar D7 and D9. The attributes that make the D9 popular for major construction projects make it desirable for military applications as well. It has been particularly effective for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and for the United States armed forces (the Marine Corps and the US Army) and the Canadian Army in Iraq[citation needed], both using an armour kit developed and manufactured by Israel. Following the success of the armoured D9, Caterpillar Defense Products started to manufacture and sell armoured bulldozers, mainly for the United States Armed Forces.[1]
The Israeli Armored D9 is a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer that was modified by the Israel Defense Forces, Israeli Military Industries and Israel Aerospace Industries to increase the survivability of the dozer in hostile environments and enable it to withstand heavy attacks.
The main IDF modification is the installation of an Israeli-made armor kit, which provides armour protection to the mechanical systems and to the operator cabin. The operator and commander are protected inside an armoured cabin ("the cockpit"), with bulletproof windows to protect against bombs, machine gun, and sniper fire. The IDF also developed a slat armor add-on to deflect RPG rounds. The modified D9 bulldozers can be fitted with disparate features, such as crew-operated machine guns, smoke projectors, or grenade launchers.
During the Second Intifada the armoured D9 bulldozer was an effective tool against Palestinian fighters, as they were almost impervious to Palestinian weapons and withstood even RPGs and belly charges with more than 100kg and even half a ton of explosive. Therefore, they were used to opening safe routes for IDF forces and detonate explosive charges. The bulldozer was used extensively to clear shrubbery and structures which could be used as cover.[citation needed]
During the Battle of Jenin, armoured bulldozers were used for neutralizing the roadside bombs that would line the alleys of the camp, according to Israeli Military Intelligence.[2][full citation needed] About a dozen armoured Caterpillar D-9 bulldozers were deployed, widening alleys, clearing paths for tanks, and detonating booby traps.[3] Lieutenant Colonel Ofek Buchris continued to employ extensive use of bulldozers, developing a method to expose IDF soldiers to less risk: first, a bulldozer would ram the corner of a house, opening a hole, and then an IDF Achzarit troop carrier would arrive to disembark troops into the house, where they would clear it of any militants found inside.[4][full citation needed]
Following several incidents where armed Palestinians barricaded themselves inside houses to prevent house demolition and killed soldiers attempting to breach the entries, the IDF developed "Noal Sir Lachatz" (נוהל סיר לחץ "Pressure Cooker protocol") in which D9s and other engineering vehicles were used to bring them out by razing the houses.
In 2003, American peace activist Rachel Corrie was killed by an IDF armoured bulldozer in Rafah while attempting to prevent the destruction of Palestinian homes in the Rafah Refugee Camp.[7]
During the first Gulf War the United States purchased tractor protection kits (TPK) from the Israel Military Industries (IMI) for their Caterpillar D7 bulldozers.[citation needed] The armored bulldozers were mainly used in mine clearing applications. During the preparation to the war in Iraq in 2003 the United States Army purchased several D9 armor kits from the IDF and used them to produce similarly fortified D9s. These have been used to clear destroyed vehicles from roads, dig moats, erect earthen-barriers, and construct field fortifications. D9s have also been used to raze houses which sheltered insurgent snipers. Military reports on the Conflict in Iraq say that the D9s were found very effective and "received highly favorable reviews from all that benefited from their use".[8]
An armoured fighting vehicle or armored fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured cars, assault guns, self-propelled artilleries, infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), and armoured personnel carriers (APC).
A military engineering vehicle is a vehicle built for construction work or for the transportation of combat engineers on the battlefield. These vehicles may be modified civilian equipment or purpose-built military vehicles. The first appearance of such vehicles coincided with the appearance of the first tanks, these vehicles were modified Mark V tanks for bridging and mine clearance. Modern military engineering vehicles are expected to fulfill numerous roles such as; bulldozer, crane, grader, excavator, dump truck, breaching vehicle, bridging vehicle, military ferry, amphibious crossing vehicle, and combat engineer section carrier.
The Caterpillar D9 is a large track-type tractor designed and manufactured by Caterpillar Inc. It is usually sold as a bulldozer equipped with a detachable large blade and a rear ripper attachment.
A bulldozer or dozer is a large, motorized machine equipped with a metal blade to the front for pushing material: soil, sand, snow, rubble, or rock during construction work. It travels most commonly on continuous tracks, though specialized models riding on large off-road tires are also produced. Its most popular accessory is a ripper, a large hook-like device mounted singly or in multiples in the rear to loosen dense materials.
Urban warfare is warfare in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both operational and the tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the presence of civilians and the complexity of the urban terrain. Urban combat operations may be conducted to capitalize on strategic or tactical advantages associated with the possession or the control of a particular urban area or to deny these advantages to the enemy. It is considered to be arguably the most difficult form of warfare.
Mahmoud Tawalbe was the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Jenin, one of the main strongholds of the Militant organization.
Heavy equipment, heavy machinery, earthmovers, construction vehicles, or construction equipment, refers to heavy-duty vehicles specially designed to execute construction tasks, most frequently involving earthwork operations or other large construction tasks. Heavy equipment usually comprises five equipment systems: the implement, traction, structure, power train, and control/information.
The M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle (CEV) is a full-tracked vehicle used for breaching, obstacle removal, and pioneering operations. Production commenced in 1965 and ceased in 1987. A total of 312 of all variants of these armored engineer vehicles were produced.
In 2004, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched Operation Rainbow in the southern Gaza Strip on 12–24 May 2004, involving an invasion and siege of Rafah. The operation was started after the deaths of eleven Israeli soldiers in two Palestinian attacks, in which M113 armored vehicles were attacked.
The IDF Caterpillar D9 — nicknamed Doobi — is a Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It is supplied by Caterpillar Inc. and modified by the Israel Defense Forces, Israeli Military Industries and Israel Aerospace Industries to increase the survivability of the bulldozer in hostile environments and enable it to withstand attack.
Yahalom is a sayeret unit of the Israeli Combat Engineering Corps of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The Israeli Combat Engineering Corps is part of the Israel Defense Forces with responsibility for mobility assurance, road breaching, defense and fortifications, counter-mobility of enemy forces, construction and destruction under fire, sabotage, explosives, bomb disposal, counter-weapons of mass destruction (NBC) and special engineering missions.
Hobart's Funnies is the nickname given to a number of specialist armoured fighting vehicles derived from tanks operated during the Second World War by units of the 79th Armoured Division of the British Army or by specialists from the Royal Engineers.
An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) 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. The term "armoured repair and recovery vehicle" (ARRV) is also used.
The Caterpillar D7 is a medium track-type tractor manufactured by Caterpillar Inc. and most commonly used as a bulldozer.
Nagmachon is a heavily armoured infantry fighting vehicle fielded by the Israel Defense Forces. The Nagmachon evolved from the NagmaSho't armoured personnel carrier (APC), which in turn was based on Centurion tank Sho't hulls from the 1970s and 1980s. The vehicle carries thick belly armour designed to withstand mine-blasts and mountings on the front hull for various engineering devices such as mine plows, mine rollers and bulldozer blades. With its belly armour and the relatively heavy armour of the Centurion hull, the Nagmachon also carries explosive reactive armour to counter high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge rounds, such as rocket propelled grenade (RPG) RPG-7s.
IMI Systems, previously Israel Military Industries, also referred to as Ta'as, was an Israeli weapons manufacturer. The company manufactured weapons, munitions and military technology mainly for the Israeli security forces.
The Battle of Jenin, took place in the Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on April 1–11, 2002. The Israeli military invaded the camp and other areas under the administration of the Palestinian Authority, during the Second Intifada, as part of Operation Defensive Shield.
A demolition vehicle is a vehicle used to demolish buildings and other structures.
This article deals with the history and development of tanks of the Israeli Army, from their first use after World War II in the establishment of the State of Israel after the end of the British Mandate, and into the Cold War and what today is considered the modern era.
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