The armored bulldozer is a basic tool of combat engineering. These combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer with armor which protects the vehicle and its operator in or near combat. Most are civilian bulldozers modified by addition of vehicle armor/military equipment, but some are tanks stripped of armament and fitted with a dozer blade. Some tanks have bulldozer blades while retaining their armament, but this does not make them armored bulldozers as such, because combat remains the primary role — earth moving is a secondary task.
An IDF Caterpillar D9: a Caterpillar D9R bulldozer with Israeli armor used by the Israel Defense Forces
D-7 bulldozer, 1944
Centaur bulldozer
Armored bulldozer of the Serbian armed forces
A combat engineer is a type of soldier who performs military engineering tasks in support of land forces combat operations. Combat engineers perform a variety of military engineering, tunnel and mine warfare tasks, as well as construction and demolition duties in and out of combat zones.
Royal Engineers preparing site for a bridge in Afghanistan
Buffalo MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle), a common vehicle used to uncover improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by combat engineer units
The IDF Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer is used for a variety of combat engineering tasks, including opening routes, demolishing structures, digging antivehicular ditches, and constructing vehicle fighting positions.
IED detonator in Iraq