TEL
AVIV — The 9" armored bulldozer, internationally known as the
"
Caterpillar D-9," is based on the Caterpillar model designed for
specific operations in urban areas. Its primary use lies in its ability to
remove fortifications and tunnels, which Israel has utilized in all its wars.
It has undergone several modifications and improvements in its armor and
protection, with its latest version being referred to as the "D-9T."
اضافة اعلان
Origin and manufacturing:
The
D-9 bulldozer was designed and produced by the American company
Caterpillar for manufacturing and selling heavy equipment in the United States in 1955.
Although the mentioned company does not manufacture any specific military
version of this bulldozer for any country, it is used in military applications
and plans, Khaberni reported.
Cost:The
cost of the D-9 bulldozer is at least $900,000, but its enhancement with armor
to support its offensive capabilities has made its total cost exceed $1.2
million.
Israeli
D-9 bulldozers were stationed on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip
on November 16, 2012.
Features of the D-9 Bulldozer:
It
features a diesel engine with an 18-liter capacity equipped with a turbocharger
generating 474 horsepower. It has a pulling force of 71.6 tons, with a height
of four meters, width of four meters, and length of eight meters. Its maximum
speed is 15 kilometers per hour.
The
armored cabin protects small arms fire and artillery shell fragments. Some
sources claim that Israeli Defense Forces' bulldozers have withstood large
explosives from roadside bombs and even diverted
RPG shells.
Combat missions:
Armored
D-9 bulldozers are used for various tasks, including disposing of explosive
ordnance, clearing booby-trapped areas, demolishing fortifications, opening
roads, recovering stranded armored vehicles, building sand barriers and various
barricades, and preparing defensive positions.
The
Israelis also use them for offensive incursions and urban warfare to minimize
human casualties. They are used in confrontations with unarmed civilians to
clear neighborhoods, demolish homes, fill tunnels, and excavate sites.
They
have also been used in relief and evacuation operations in emergencies
following large-scale operations, and the Israeli army relies on them to tow
main battle tanks and other combat vehicles weighing over 70 tonnes, which
sustain injuries and malfunctions on the battlefield.
Military use:The
combat use of bulldozers in Israel dates back to the 1956 war, the 1967 war,
the October 1973 war, and the 1982 Lebanon war. This was due to reports from
combat areas and confrontations with Palestinian resistance, which necessitated
finding means of protection from small arms fire and artillery shell fragments.
Israel
turned to the D-9 bulldozer due to its engineering structure and mechanical
strength, as well as its ability to make substantial modifications. The Israeli
army owns about 100 armored bulldozers of its model, in addition to the modern
version, the "D-9T."
The
US Army used them during the
Vietnam War to clear forests and open paths to
detect forested areas, which were launching pads for Vietnamese army
operations. After the Vietnam War, these machines were replaced by smaller
Caterpillar D-7G bulldozers.
In
2003, the US Army and Marine Corps acquired a total of 14 armored D-9
bulldozers developed by the Israeli military engineering department for
deployment in Iraq.
Engineering modifications:
The
engineering forces belonging to the Israeli army, known as "Tzama,"
made several modifications to the D-9 bulldozer, equipping it with a large
detachable blade and a rear crusher attachment while maintaining all the
functions of the armored bulldozer - including the tractor blade and crusher -
remotely controlled through a portable control panel.
The
bulldozer weighed 55 tonnes, and with the modifications made by the Israeli
army, it weighed 62 tonnes.
Additional
armor sets for Caterpillar D-9 bulldozers were designed by Israeli military
industries, adding a set of structural armor to protect mechanical systems and
the driver's cabin.
In
2015, the bulldozer was equipped with a "cage" known as
"ERA" to ensure protection from
rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), the
weapon primarily used by the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic
Resistance Movement (Hamas). These armor cages fully surround the D-9
bulldozer, in addition to providing it with bullet-resistant glass to protect
its crew.
It
has two doors for entry at the front of the cockpit, and a rear door was
introduced as an emergency exit, in addition to a roof hatch for observation.
A
7.62mm machine gun and grenade launchers can be mounted on the roof for firing,
controlled by the bulldozer's commander. The bulldozer also has three front
gears and three additional gears to support its ability to withstand shellfire
and gunfire.
The
Israeli army also changed the criteria for closing the cockpit so that the
vehicle could operate in areas contaminated with gases resulting from chemical
weapons attacks.
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