Armoured Vehicles Do It For Real
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Source: MoD
The Army's newest armoured engineer vehicles, Titan and Trojan, are nearing the end of a tough season on the Canadian prairie. In the fourth of our special features from The British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Canada we see how these heavyweight vehicles are making a big difference to the capability of Royal Engineers as they prepare for deployed operations.
Titan and Trojan, or T2 as they are better known amongst those who operate them, are making a huge difference to the way British soldiers approach and conduct complex engineering tasks on operations. Although relatively new into service and yet to deploy for real on operations, according to Major Leigh Tingey of the Royal Engineers, the vehicles are already proving up to the job:
"Titan and Trojan are new into service and we're seeing a huge step change in that capability. Prior to that the British Army relied on engineer vehicles based on Chieftain tanks from the 60's and 70's and they really were the Antiques Roadshow, but Titan and Trojan is cutting edge stuff, really capable vehicles."
Maj Tingey, 37, from Cambridge, is one of the permanent Directing Staff at BATUS. With 18 years experience in the Army, he has just finished two years commanding a Royal Engineer Squadron, a period which included two tough operational tours, one in Iraq and most recently in Afghanistan. He clearly knows a thing or two about working while under fire: the fact he is impressed with both Titan and Trojan is extremely encouraging:
"In terms of the armoured engineer support that they can provide to the battlegroup, they are much better both in terms of laying bridges, clearing minefields and clearing obstacles. The rest of the engineer's kit still requires updating so it's really Titan and Trojan that has taken the leap forward."
Of course having these vehicles is one thing but moving them around the battlespace so that they can offer the right support to the right people at the right time is a different matter altogether. Sapper Simon Berry, 28, from Colchester, is a member of 26 Squadron, 32 Engineer Regiment. He is enjoying the training environment which BATUS provides for these heavyweight vehicles:
"I'm a Titan and Trojan operator, the only one here qualified to traffic these vehicles over bridges. Titan is for bridge launching, Trojan is used for many aspects such as breaching minefields, excavating, digging anti tank ditches etc.
"Getting the vehicles across in this environment, open ground, has to be quick and efficient. But once we get the bridges in and the vehicles across we can get the rest of the battlegroup through.
"This training is very valuable for myself, with these being new in service, so we're trying to get as much training in as possible before they are employed on operations. The vehicles are very fast, very efficient. There's been a few teething problems which we've sorted out. Comfort wise they are great for living in too.
"The training here at BATUS with this terrain offers quite a difference in driver techniques. There have been instances recently of engineers having to drop bridges while under fire in Afghanistan so this will be good training and preparation for that."
Having such state-of-the-art battlefield close support engineer vehicles means that engineers can overcome almost every obstacle on the modern battlefield ? from crossing gaping chasms to breaching minefields.
The two vehicles both weigh over 60 tonnes and can travel up to speeds of up 56km. They are the most capable armoured engineer vehicles that the British Army has ever operated.
Importantly their speed allows them to keep pace with the Challenger 2 tanks and offers their Royal Engineer crews well armoured protection, utilising high technology devices such as thermal imagery cameras and night vision to do their job under cover no matter what the conditions.
For Warrant Officer 2 (QMSI) Nick Busby, 36, from Alcester, reliability has been the key asset of the new vehicles' presence at BATUS:
"It became obvious a few years ago that the old Chieftain variant needed replacing. Titan and Trojan have been a vast improvement on reliability. Titan provides a bridging capability, it can lay bridges quickly, and because of the increased reliability we can get it on site when the rest of the battlegroup need it there.
"Trojan is a breaching vehicle, it has a mine-ploughing capability, it has an excavator arm for removing obstacles in a conventional or contemporary operating environment. They can keep up with the rest of the battlegroup and operate amongst the forward elements."
While their integration into the large battlegroup exercises which take place on the Alberta prairie is being seen as a huge success, in terms of being ready for operations where are Titan and Trojan?
"The vehicles are ready, we've got crews now that have been training on them for a year and when they are required to go on operations they'll be ready."
