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Combat dozer blades will be integrated onto the Australian Army’s new Redback infantry fighting vehicles.
Combat engineering company Pearson Engineering announced it had been engaged in the contract under LAND 400 Phase 3.
In addition if operational requirements call for it, the combat dozer blade can be swapped out for a mine plough, counter-improvised explosive device roller or surface clearance device without further mechanical design or intervention.
The contract follows the extensive risk mitigation activity in Australia to prove the operational functionality and durability of the combat dozer blade.
Initiatives to localise the supply of the front-end equipment are underway with the formation of a team of suppliers that will provide fabrications, hydraulic components, harnesses, assembly and testing as part of Pearson Engineering’s Australian industrial content commitment.
“This is an important milestone in our continued collaboration with the Australian Defence Force which goes back almost 20 years,” said Richard Beatson, Pearson Engineering business development director.
“It builds on the in-country integration, training and support that we are providing as part of the LAND 907 program for both the M1 main battle tank and combat engineering vehicle and furthers our commitment to localising M-AIT.
“We understand and appreciate the challenges involved in being a provider on the other side of the world and we have built into our plans our ability to support the project from within the Commonwealth.”
The Combat Dozer Blade will be integrated with Redback via a Pearson Engineering vehicle interface kit which is designed to accept a wide range of FEE from within Pearson Engineering’s range of products.
With the initial integration of the combat dozer blade made, Redback has been future-proofed with the ability to adapt according to mission set.
The company counts among its end user base for combat dozer blades various countries across North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Each variant is designed specifically to accommodate vehicle characteristics and operational requirements.
