The bulldozers used by the IDF to enter Hamas-occupied territory have aroused the curiosity of Internet users. There are reasons for this: The vehicles, whose mission is to navigate the narrow streets of the Gaza Strip, are armored and equipped with machine guns.
This machine was manufactured by the North American company Caterpillar and called the D9R, and nearly one hundred excavators were mobilized to the front line in the Palestinian territories. The vehicles, which can also destroy bombs, are piloted by soldiers from the Combat Engineer Corps.
Details of Israeli excavators
The D9R is equipped with highly resistant armor to protect Israeli soldiers from Hamas attacks. The protection has the appearance of a cage and covers a large portion of the vehicle. The windows and columns of the excavator cab are armored. This is because what most worries the Israeli forces are the rocket launchers used by terrorists.
Read also: “Israel sends armored excavators equipped with machine guns to the front line”
This is not the first time bulldozers have been placed on the battlefield against Hamas terrorists. According to the British newspaper The IndependentIn the period between 2008 and 2009, armored excavators were used in Operation Cast Lead.
The vehicles sent to Israeli forces are not only used to pave roads through enemy territory. They also have defensive capabilities. After a series of structural modifications, the excavators received machine guns.
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The D9R must be operated by two soldiers. While one of them drives the vehicle, another is responsible for the weapons and communications linking the excavator to the Israeli military intelligence headquarters.
Read also: “The Perseverance of the People”, an article by Anna Paula Henkel published in Issue 189 of Revista Oeste
