US Army Combat Engineer Vehicles 1980 to the Present

The struggle for armored dominance sometimes overshadows the vital and unsung heroes of the battlefield: the engineers. Combat engineer vehicles spearhead armored attacks, breach obstacles, and prepare defenses. Born of necessity, these amazing vehicles have developed from humble beginnings to technological and mechanical marvels. After a slow and unimaginative start, the US Army has developed and fielded some of the most prolific and advanced combat engineer vehicles ever used. This book provides a rare look at these amazing machines and the crews that operated them. Vehicles covered are the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle; Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge; M9 Armored Combat Earthmover; M9 ACE and M60 AVLB; M1132 Stryker Engineer Squad Vehicle; M2 Bradley, Wolverine, and Assault Breaching Vehicle; and Grizzly and Panther 2, as well as experimental and limited-use vehicles. Along with providing technical information, author Jeffrey DeRosa analyzes the operational effectiveness of each vehicle.