M1 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV)

SapperAEV
Booby traps and AP mines can ruin a Sapper's day, but in a pure AT (anti-tank) minefield the EOD tech's ground bearing pressure should not be sufficient to detonate an AT mine.

As a young Sapper I thought that walking around in a mine field may be unwise, but my training assured me otherwise. There were still days when I wished I had a job in a library instead.

The M-1 ABV seems to be the culmination of generations of engineering vehicle development dating back to Sherman and Churchill tank engineering conversions. I hope the dozer blade conversion is available soon.

I wonder if a remote control kit is in the works for the ABV? The RC capable M-1 Panther II was the best toy in NATO. I once saw a young lieutenant try to make hand signals to a nonexistent driver on a RC Panther II. The infantry were always entertaining.

The ABV is a force multiplier by increasing Sapper productivity, but it is noisy and tends to alert defenders. For sneaky preparations and probing of defenses, the tried and true "Liberace" method of crawling on your belly feeling the ground ahead of you, as if you were playing the piano will still have its place. As ever, match the tool to the job at hand.

Gluefinger
Now, in January 2018, I can safely say that this was my kit of the year for 2017! Now, if we could get them to do a Grizzly, they'd be up for another winner 😉