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Thearmoured bulldozer is a basic tool ofcombat engineering. Thesecombat 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 ofvehicle armour/military equipment, but some aretanks stripped of armament and fitted with a dozer blade. Some tanks (calledtankdozers) 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 conventionalCaterpillar D7bulldozer fitted with armour to protect the driver and the engine. The work was carried out byJack Olding & Company Ltd ofHatfield. The bulldozer was one of several specialist armored vehicles that were collectively referred to as "Hobart's Funnies" and were operated by the British79th Armoured Division in support of armoured assaults.
The bulldozers were produced in preparation for theBattle 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—aCentaur tank with the turret removed and a bulldozer blade fitted. Centaur bulldozers were still in use with the British Army at the time of theKorean War.
Modern armoured bulldozers are often based on the Caterpillar D7 andD9. The attributes that make the D9 popular for major construction projects make it desirable formilitary applications as well. It has been particularly effective for theIsrael Defense Forces (IDF) and for theUnited States armed forces (theMarine Corps and theUS Army) and theCanadian Army inIraq[citation needed], both using an armour kit developed and manufactured byIsrael. Following the success of the armoured D9, Caterpillar Defense Products started to manufacture and sell armoured bulldozers, mainly for theUnited States Armed Forces.[1]
The Israeli Armored D9 is a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer that was modified by the Israel Defense Forces,Israeli Military Industries andIsrael Aerospace Industries to increase the survivability of thedozer in hostile environments and enable it to withstand heavy attacks.
The D9R, the latest generation of D9 bulldozers in IDF service, has a power of 405 to 410 horsepower (302 to 306 kW) anddrawbar pull of 71.6tonnes-force (702 kN). It has a crew of two, an operator and a commander. It is operated by the TZAMA (צמ"ה =ציוד מכני הנדסי,Mechanical Engineering Equipment) units of theIsraeli Engineering Corps.[citation needed]
The main IDF modification is the installation of an Israeli-made armor kit, which provides armour protection to the mechanical systems and to the operatorcabin. The operator and commander are protected inside an armoured cabin ("the cockpit"), withbulletproof windows to protect againstbombs,machine gun, andsniper fire. The IDF also developed aslat armor add-on to deflectRPG rounds. The modified D9 bulldozers can be fitted with disparate features, such as crew-operatedmachine guns, smoke projectors, orgrenade launchers.
The IDF uses the D9 for a wide variety of engineering tasks, includingearthworks, diggingmoats, mounting sand barriers, buildingfortifications, rescuing stuck, overturned or damagedarmoured fighting vehicles (along withM88 Recovery Vehicle), clearinglandmines, detonatingimprovised explosive devices andexplosives, clearing terrain obstacles and opening routes forarmoured fighting vehicles and infantry, as well as structuresdemolition, including under fire.
During theSecond Intifada the armoured D9 bulldozer was an effective tool againstPalestinian fighters, as they were almost impervious to Palestinian weapons and withstood evenRPGs and belly charges with more than 100 kg 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 theBattle of Jenin, armoured bulldozers were used for neutralizing theroadside bombs that would line the alleys of the camp, according toIsraeli Military Intelligence.[2][full citation needed] About a dozen armouredCaterpillar D-9 bulldozers were deployed, widening alleys, clearing paths for tanks, and detonatingbooby 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 anIDF 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 preventhouse 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 otherengineering vehicles were used to bring them out by razing the houses.
The Israeli military would use armoured bulldozers extensively during theIsraeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.[5] They would also be used to damage infrastructure during the2024 Israeli military operation in the West Bank.[6]
In 2003, American peace activistRachel Corrie was killed by an IDF armoured bulldozer inRafah while attempting to prevent the destruction of Palestinian homes in theRafah Refugee Camp.[7]
During the firstGulf War the United States purchased tractor protection kits (TPK) from theIsrael Military Industries (IMI) for their Caterpillar D7 bulldozers.[citation needed] The armored bulldozers were mainly used in mine clearing applications. During the preparation to thewar in Iraq in 2003 the United States Army purchased several D9 armor kits from theIDF 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 theConflict in Iraq say that the D9s were found very effective and "received highly favorable reviews from all that benefited from their use".[8]
TheSoviet military developed a dozer-blade-equipped armored vehicles, theIMR series, based on theT-72 platform. They would later see use byRussia andUkraine during the2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine.[9]
