Combat Engineer Tractor FV 180
| FV 180 CET | |
|---|---|
Combat Engineer Tractor FV 180 |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 2 |
| length | 5.30 m (without swimming covers) |
| width | 2.90 m |
| height | 2.67 m |
| Dimensions | 17.2 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | mm |
| Secondary armament | 1 × 7.62 mm MG |
| agility | |
| drive | Rolls Royce C6TCR 320 hp |
| Top speed |
|
| Power / weight | |
The FV 180 CET (Combat Engineer Tractor) was a pioneer tank of the British armed forces.
The CET was developed for building roads, removing obstacles, creating cover for tanks and artillery, as well as exploring and preparing water crossings. The inflatable rubber beads with which the vehicle can be made buoyant are unusual. In addition, the clearing blade (actually the blade of a crawler loader ) is not, as usual, on the front of the device, but on the rear. Two man crew sit in tandem in the tower on rotating seats and act as a forward (normal drive) and as a reverse driver (working with the shield).
The huge anchor made of profiled sheet metal is located on the deck of the tank and can be shot down using a rocket drive. It was intended to make landing easier after swimming when crossing rivers. The winch rope is attached to the anchor and thus supports overcoming an embankment . The anchor is not controllable, so the flight cannot be influenced and the point of impact can only be estimated. The whole thing does not usually go off without difficulty for the crew. Even the manufacturer specifies a deviation of 45 degrees to each side for the flight of the anchor.
The high procurement costs and the insufficient capacity for earthmoving were also criticized.
An attempt at bilateral cooperation with the company consortia of the German Armored Pioneer Machine (GPM), which was also being developed, failed in 1974.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| length | 5.30 m (with swimming covers 7.50 m) |
| width | 2.90 m |
| height | 2.67 m |
| Weight | 17.2 t |
| Speed road max | 56 km / h |
| Swimming speed max | 8 km / h |
| engine | Rolls Royce C6TCR |
| Engine power | 320 hp |
| Fuel tank | 430 liters |
| Winch rope | 100 m |
| Winch | |
| Armament | 1 machine gun 7.62 mm |
| production | from 1979 |
| commitment | Assigned to the armored squadrons of the Royal Engineers |
The model has been replaced since 2010 by the Terrier Armored Digger and the Trojan (AVRE) .
literature
- FM by Senger and Etterlin : "Tanks of the World 1983" Arms and Armor Press. London 1983, ISBN 0-85368-585-1 .
