Wednesday 5 June 2013

TERRIER – New Commando Battlefield Digger – as the Royal Marines return to amphibious operations after a dozen years when deployments in the sands of Iraq and Afghanistan have been a distraction from their primary focus things are on the move.    The latest piece of kit for the Royal Marines is the 30 tonne, 50 mph TERRIER armoured digger, capable of clearing minefields, laying temporary roads, smashing road surfaces, tearing up concrete and lifting heavy objects.    The TERRIER is fitted with thermal imaging technology and can be controlled remotely from distances up to a kilometre away and has five cameras which allows dangerous tasks such as mine clearance to be conducted remotely.    This versatile vehicle is able to transport up to 5,000 kg of material and the quick hitch mechanism means the bucket at the front can be rapidly dropped and replaced with either a set of forks (making it rather like a fork lift truck, a ripper for tearing up road surfaces or a device for clearing mines from road surfaces.     Different fittings for its side excavator arm can be used to dig holes, lift objects, drill into the ground or shatter concrete.     The TERRIOR is armed with a 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun and smoke grenade launchers, and is air transportable by the (RAF aircraft) C-17 GLOBEMASTER, or the Airbus A400M when in service, but in Royal Marine service the Landing Craft Utility will be the usual means of getting them ashore.

24 Commando Regiment RE, based at Chivenor (Barnstaple) is an integral part of 3 Commando Brigade RM and now comprises:-
·           54 Commando Headquarters and Support Squadron, RE
·           56 Commando Field Squadron, RE (not yet established)
·           59 Commando Field Squadron, RE – the former 59 Independent Commando Squadron RM
                        Headquarters
                   Reconnaissance Troop
                   Field Troop
                   Field Troop
                   Field Troop
·         131 Independent Commando Squadron, RE (Volunteers)
                    Headquarters and Support Troop (Kingsbury, London NW)
                    300 Troop (Plymouth)
                    301 Troop (Sheldon, Birmingham)
                    302 Troop (Bath)
·         REME Workshops (Attached)
with an establishment of 543 Officers and Soldiers.

Some sixty (60) TERRIER vehicles have/are been acquired by the Royal Engineers – and will be issued to their field units including 24 Commando Regiment, RE.

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