The "D9" bulldozer is a "civilian" vehicle used in military missions

Highlights: The "D9" bulldozer is a "civilian" vehicle used in military missions. It is a modified armored bulldozer nicknamed “Teddy Bear” by members of the Israeli army. Israel has used it in all its wars and subjected it to military developments and improvements. The Israeli army has about 100 armored bulldozers of this type, in addition to the modern version, the D-9T. The American army used it during the Vietnam War to clear forests and open paths to expose forest areas.

Known as the “Caterpillar D-9,” it is a modified armored bulldozer nicknamed “Teddy Bear” by members of the Israeli army. It is used to remove fortifications and tunnels. Israel has used it in all its wars and subjected it to military developments and improvements.

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“D-9” is a modified armored bulldozer, known internationally as “Caterpillar D-9”. It is based on a “Caterpillar” model designed for specific operations in urban areas. Its primary use lies in its ability to remove fortifications and tunnels. Israel has used it in all its wars, and it has been subject to a number of Developments and improvements in its armor and protection, and its latest version is called “D-9T”.

Origination and manufacturing

The D9 bulldozer was designed and produced by Caterpillar, an American company that manufactures and sells heavy equipment in the United States in 1955. Although the aforementioned company does not manufacture any special military version of this bulldozer for any country, it is used in military applications and plans.

the cost

The cost of the D9 bulldozer is no less than $900,000, but its reinforcement with armor to support its offensive capabilities made its total cost exceed one million and $200,000.

Israeli D-9 bulldozers are stationed on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip on November 16, 2012 (French)

Features of the D9 bulldozer

It has an 18-liter turbocharged diesel engine with 474 steam horsepower. Its pulling force is 71.6 tons, its height is 4 meters, its width is 4 meters, and its length is 8 meters. Its maximum speed is 15 kilometers per hour.

The armored cabin provides protection from small arms fire and artillery shell splinters, and some sources say the IDF bulldozers withstood huge explosive bursts from IEDs, and even deflected RPGs.

Combat missions

D9 armored bulldozers are used for a number of tasks, including explosive ordnance disposal, clearing booby-trapped areas, demolishing fortifications, opening roads, recovering stranded armored vehicles, constructing sand mounds and various barriers, and preparing defensive positions.

The Israelis also use it in offensive incursions and urban warfare in order to reduce their human losses. It is also used in cases of confrontations with unarmed civilians to sweep neighborhoods, demolish homes, and fill basements, tunnels, and excavated sites.

It was also used in relief and evacuation operations in emergency situations following large-scale operations, and the Israeli army relies on it to withdraw main battle tanks and other combat vehicles weighing more than 70 tons, which are exposed to injuries and malfunctions from the battlefields.

Use it militarily

The combat use of bulldozers in Israel goes back to the 1956 war, the 1967 war, the October 1973 war, and the 1982 Lebanon war. Given the reports issued from combat zones and confrontations with the Palestinian resistance, which necessitated the need to find means of protection from small arms fire and artillery shell fragments.

Israel resorted to the D-9 bulldozer due to its engineering structure and mechanical strength, and due to the possibility of introducing fundamental modifications to it. The Israeli army has about 100 armored bulldozers of this type, in addition to the modern version, the D-9T.

The American army used it during the Vietnam War to clear forests and open paths to expose forest areas, which were a starting point for the operations of Vietnamese army personnel. After the US-Vietnam War, these machines were replaced by smaller Caterpillar D7G bulldozers.

In 2003, the US Army and Marine Corps obtained a total of 14 D-9 armored bulldozers developed by the Israeli Military Engineering Department for deployment in Iraq.

Engineering modifications

The Israeli army's engineering forces, called "Tizama", introduced several modifications to the "D9" bulldozer, equipping it with a large detachable blade and a rear crusher attachment, while maintaining the operation of all functions of the armored bulldozer - including the dozer blade and crusher - remotely through a panel. Portable controller.

The bulldozer weighed 55 tons, and with the modifications made to it by the Israeli army, it weighed 62 tons.

The additional armor kit for the D9 Caterpillar bulldozers was designed by IMI by adding a set of structural armor to protect the mechanical systems and cockpit.

An Israeli D-9 bulldozer maneuvers on the border with the Gaza Strip on January 6, 2024 (Reuters)

In 2015, the bulldozer was equipped with “shields,” also known as “cages,” to ensure its protection from rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), a weapon primarily used by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). These shields completely surround the D9 bulldozer, in addition to providing it with bulletproof glass to protect its driving crew.

It has two doors to enter the front of the cockpit, and a rear door was created to serve as an emergency exit, in addition to a sunroof for observation.

A 7.62 mm machine gun and grenade launchers can be mounted on the roof for firing controlled by the bulldozer commander. The bulldozer also contains 3 front gears and 3 were added to support its ability to repel missiles and light weapons bullets.

The Israeli army also changed the cockpit closure standards so that the vehicle can operate in areas contaminated with gases resulting from chemical weapons attacks.

Source: websites