Machinegun Cast
IDF Caterpillar D9
Characteristics
The D9R, the latest generation of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers in IDF service, has a power of 405-410 horse power and drawbar pull of 71.6 metric tons (about 716 kN). Older generations, such as D9L and D9N are still in service, mainly in the reserve forces. The D9 has a crew of two: operator and commander. It is operated by the TZAMA (In Hebrew: " = , Mechanical Engineering Equipment) units of the Israeli Engineering Corps.
The main IDF modification is the installation of an Israeli-made armor kit which provides armor protection to the mechanical systems and to the operator cabin. The operator and commander are protected inside an armored cabin ("the cockpit"), with bulletproof windows to protect against bombs, machinegun, and sniper fire. The IDF also developed and installed slat armor add-on to deflect RPG rounds. The fitted armor package adds roughly 15 additional tons to the production-line weight of the D9. The modified D9 bulldozers can be fitted with disparate features, such as crew-operated machine guns, smoke projectors, or grenade launchers.
The IDF uses the D9 for a wide variety of engineering tasks, such as earthworks, digging moats, house demolition, mounting sand barriers, building fortifications, rescuing stuck, overturned or damaged armored fighting vehicles (along with M88 Recovery Vehicle), clearing landmines, detonating IEDs and explosives, clearing terrain obstacles and opening routes to armored fighting vehicles and infantry, as well as structures demolition, including under fire.
History
IDF D9L, involved in the Battle of Jenin 2002 during Operation Defensive Shield.
IDF D9R with slat armor, a view of it massive front blade.
IDF D9R armed with FN Mag machinegun and slat armor during IDF training
IDF D9N demolishing Hizbullah's bunkers during the Second Lebanon War.
The Caterpillar D9 bulldozer was introduced in 1954 by Caterpillar Inc. and quickly found its way to civilian engineering in Israel and from there it was recruited to military service by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Unarmored D9 bulldozers took part in the Sinai War (1956), Six Days War (1967), Yom Kippur War (1973) and Operation Peace for Galilee (1982).
During Yom Kippur War D9 bulldozers open routes to Israeli forces, clearing landmines and other anti-tank obstacles. In the southern front, D9 towed bridges and breaching equipment and helped General Ariel Sharon to cross the Suez canal and determine the war with Egypt. The D9s razed the sand barrier around the canal and cleared mines near it. In the northern front, D9 was the first motorized vehicle to reach the summit of Mount Hermon while it paved way for IDF Engineering Corps, Golani Brigade and Paratroopers Brigade to claim the summit and prevent it from falling in the hands of Syria.
During Operation Peace for Galilee D9s were employed in breaching and paving ways through mountains and fields in the mountain landscape of southern Lebanon. The D9s also cleared minefields and explosive belly charges set on the main routes by Syrian army and Palestinian insurgent. Because the D9 served as front-line tools, the IDF developed armor kit to protect the lives of the soldiers operating them.
Between the wars, D9 bulldozers were employed in earthworks, fortifications buildings, opening routes and clearing explosive charges. During the late 1980s an Israeli-made armor was installed on the D9L dozers that were in IDF service. An improved armor kit was designed and installed on the D9N bulldozers during the 1990s.
During the Second Intifada (2000 and henceforth) the armored D9 bulldozer gain notoriety as being an effective tool against Palestinians, as they were almost impervious to Palestinian weapons and withstood even RPGs and Belly charges with more than 100 kg and even half a ton of explosive. Therefore they were used to open safe routes to IDF forces and detonate explosive charges. The bulldozer was used extensively to clear shrubbery and structures which was used as cover for Palestinian attacks. In addition they razed houses of families of suicide bombers. Following several incidents where armed Palestinians barricaded themselves inside houses and killed soldiers attempting to breach the entries, the IDF developed "Noal Sir Lachatz" ( "Pressure Pot Regulation") in which D9s and other engineering vehicles were used to bring them out by razing the houses; most of them surrendered because of fears of being buried alive. During the Battle of Jenin 2002 armored D9 bulldozers razed houses from which militants fired upon Israeli soldiers or contained possible IEDs and booby traps. A translated interview with one of the drivers was published by Gush Shalom. After the deadly ambush in which 13 soldiers were killed the D9s razed the center of the camp and forced the remaining Palestinian fighters to surrender, thus finishing the battle with an Israeli victory.
In Rafah and near the Philadelphie Route the D9s razed thousands of buildings according to human rights reports; Israel claimed it is a security measure necessary to discover and destroy smuggling tunnels and destroy firing positions that threaten the forces in the area, while Palestinians claimed it was to create a "buffer zone" and punish Palestinians for IDF casualties.
While Palestinians saw the D9 as a devastating weapon, and human rights groups criticized it for the massive damage it caused to Palestinian infrastructure, Israelis and military experts saw the D9 as a necessary tool for combatting insurgency and terrorism and a key factor in reducing IDF casualties.
During the early 2000s, the new D9R entered IDF service, equipped with a new generation armor designed by the IDF's MASHA (Hebrew: ", lit. Restoration and Maintenance Center), Israel Aerospace Industries ans Zoko Shiloovim (Caterpillar Inc. importers in Israel). Due to the increasing threat of shaped charge anti-tank rockets and missiles, the IDF introduced in 2005 a slat armor, installed in large numbers on the IDF D9R dozers in 2006. The slat armor proved to be effective and life-saving; its developers and installers won the IDF's Ground Command award.
The IDF also operates armored remote-controlled D9N bulldozers, called "Raam HaShachar" (Hebrew: , lit. "Thunder of Dawn") often incorrectly referred as "Black Thunder". The remote-controlled bulldozer is used when there is a great risk for human life, mainly when opening dangerous routes and detonating explosive charges.
Armored D9R bulldozers and unmanned "Raam HaShachar" D9N bulldozers played important role in the Second Lebanon War (2006) and Operation Cast Lead (2008-2009), opening routes, clearing explosives and IEDs, and demolishing structures such as rigged buildings, HQs, warehouses, outposts, bunkers and tunnels - often concealed in civilian structure.
Models in IDF service
Different armored Caterpillar D9 generations in IDF service.
From left to right:
D9L: 460 hp, drawbar pull 75 tons
D9N: 375-401 hp
D9R: 405 hp, drawbar pull 71.6 tons.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Caterpillar D9
Caterpillar D-Series Track-Type Tractors - Official Caterpillar website
Hebrew Article about the D9 bulldozer and its military applications, the Hebrew Wikipedia
MathKnight's IDF Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer webpage - mainly on military applications by the IDF
IDF D9 bulldozer - Israeli-Weapons website
Notes
^ "I made them a stadium in the middle of the camp" Gush Shalom, English translation of Hebrew interview in Yediot Aharonot, May 31, 2002.
Categories: Military engineering vehicles | Armoured fighting vehicles of Israel | Caterpillar vehicles
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