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Centurion MBT

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centurion-AVRE.jpg

AVRE located outside the Land Warfare Hall, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridgeshire

The FV4007 Centurion was the British Main Battle Tank in service in the '50s & '60s. Though it was replaced by the excellent Chieftain in the MBT role, it continued to be used as a specialised vehicle, notably the FV4003 AVRE used by the Royal Engineers. The AVREs were equipped with a 165mm demolition gun and either a hydraulically-operated bulldozer blade or a mine plough.

They could carry fascine bundles, metal track rolls and tow the Giant Viper mine-clearance equipment or a trailer for another fascine. This variant had a five man crew. The vehicle was used in the Operation GRANBY of 1991 though they were retired soon after.

The Centurion was sold on to other countries including Australia and Israel - who used it to great effect during the Six Day War.