Terrier

Not quite sure if this subject should go in 'Sappers', 'REME' or 'RAC' but,
just published in todays 'Leicester Mercury', details of new utility vehicle named 'Terrier' for mine clearence,trench digging, tank recovery and demolition work.
Designed by BAE Systems Land Systems of Scudamore Road, Leicester.

 

Also featured in the new "Soldier" magazine.

 

When will it be out on the ground? in about 12 years?

 

"Just over two years" ISD.

More here: http://www.soldiermagazine.co.uk/mag/kitstop.htm

 

It looks like a 432 that fucked a JCB...

 

Perhaps it will be ready for the new war we are dragged into!

How big a hit will it take before the arm falls off?

As I recall when an AVRE hit an object in Derry in 72, it's blade fell off! This blade was then recovered by an Allis!

It's too close a contat vehicle for the REME!

And what happened to either the Mine Blade of Flail for the front of Tanks?

 

Terrier is a replacement for the CET and as such is not designed to be used in the direct fire zone, thus it is not a sufficiently armoured vehicle.

Trojan is the new RE obstacle breaching vehicle and, as you well have gathered from previous articles and discussion, is equipped with various interchangeable front-end equipment and will carry out the role alluded to in the story about the AVRE in Derry.

Terrier also has various front-end equipment but should not be required to move obstacles etc in quite such a hurry as Trojan. However it is a very capable digging tool, both with the bucket and the arm.

Whilst there have been murmurings about the possible use of Terrier (or a Terrier-based vehicle) as a 'FRES breacher', I gather there are current issues with regard to its weight and transportability; does anyone know anything more?

We no longer use flails in front of tanks (possibly since Hobart's funnies and the Sherman - ?); the nearest we have come to this recently is the Aardvark which again was not used in the direct fire zone (nor can it be used for humanitarian demining). There are however many reiterations of the method in the demining world.

(God I sound like such a spotter!)

 

Pasty Boy, according to the Soldier report, Terrier is air-transportable by the A400 (that new Militarised Airbus we should be getting in the next few years). So once we have A400 and Terrier it is then fully able to be transported to different areas of the globe.

 

Whilst I had noticed that the Soldier article states that Terrier will be air-porrtable and I know that this was part of the original requirement, it has not yet been demonstrated.

Whether air-portability still counts if it is stripped down into various parts and then re-assembled, we shall see. My knowledge is a little out of date and thus I dont know if it is all-up weight or point loading/kg per square metre that is the issue. Hopefully someone here who is more up to date will provide the necessary info.