3 Tools

• Combat engineering vehicles
  • Sapper carriers
  • Modified tanks
  • Bridgelaying tank
  • M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle
• Engineering vehicles
  • Armoured bulldozers (such as the IDF Caterpillar D9)
  • bulldozers, front loaders, excavators, cranes, tractors etc
• Reconnaissaince vehicles
• Minelayers
• Mine breaching devices
  • Dozer blade
  • Mine rollers
• EOD robots
• Explosives, mines and bombs

4 History

In ancient times, combat engineers were responsible for siege warfare and building field fortifications, temporary camps and roads. The most notable engineers of ancient times were the Romans, who constructed huge siege-machines ( catapults, battering rams and siege towers) and were responsible for constructing fortified wooden camps and paved roads for their legions. Many of these Roman roads are still in use two thousand years later.

In the Middle Ages combat engineers focused on siege warfare. They planned castles and fortresses. When laying siege, they planned and oversaw efforts to penetrate castle defences. When castles served a military purpose, one of the tasks of the sappers was to weaken the bases of walls to enable them to be breached before means of thwarting these activities were devised. Broadly speaking, sappers were experts at demolishing or otherwise overcoming or bypassing fortification systems.

When cannon first appeared, combat engineers were responsible for maintaining them while planning counter- artillery fortifications.

For more information about combat engineering before the modern era, see: Military engineer.

During the 20th century, combat engineers gained vast knowledge and experience in explosives. They are tasked with planting bombs, landmines and dynamite. More over, they are the only units with the clearance to detonate enemy explosive charges and the handling of unexploded ordinance. They are in charge of the EOD department and train specialists to defuse bombs.

Modern combat engineering still retains the Roman role of building field fortifications, road paving and the breaching of terrain obstacles. A notable combat engineer task was, for example, the breaching of the Suez Canal during the Yom Kippur War.

5 Specific combat engineering corps

5.1 United States

Main article: United States Army Corps of Engineers.

In the U.S. Army's Corps of Engineers, the three tasks of the combat engineer are mobility, countermobility, and survivability.

• Mobility: improving your own force's ability to move around the battlefield and transport supplies. Can include constructing bridges, roads, airfields, seaports and other facilities. See also logistics. May include removing and disarming landmines and booby traps.
• Countermobility: building obstacles to prevent the enemy from moving around the battlefield. Destroying bridges, blocking roads, cratering airstrips, digging trenches, etc. Can also include planting landmines and booby traps although this is controversial under international law.
• Survivability: building structures which enable one's own soldiers to survive on the battlefield. Trenches, bunkers, shelters, fighting positions.

Plastic explosives are heavily used in combat engineering, which also includes Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD).

5.2 Israel

264px IDF Caterpillar D9.
Armored bulldozers are standard combat engineering tools, as they can perform construction, destruction and EOD missions under heavy fire. Main article: Israeli Engineering Corps.

In the Israeli Defence Forces the combat engineers are organized under the Israel Engineering Corps ( Hebrew: חיל ההנדסה הקרבית). In addition to IEC sappers, each infantry brigade has an engineer company trained with basic engineering and EOD skills. IEC sappers are often attached to other units (such as armored divisions or infantry) in order to help them breach obstacles and handle explosive threats. The IEC operates advance engineering tools such as Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer, IDF Puma armored CEV, EOD robots and electromagnetic mine-detectors. Their main role is enabling Israeli forces to advance (breach the enemy's obstacles), stop the enemy's movement, handle explosive and perform construction and destruction under fire.

5.3 United Kingdom and Australia

Sapper is also the Royal Engineers' equivalent of Private.

This is also the case within the Royal Australian Engineers, where referring to a Sapper as a Private is considered an insult and can result in disciplinary charges being laid.

Military terms Engineering

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