The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded a modified contract to Pearson Engineering – a combat systems supplier based in Newcastle, UK – to deliver M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles (ABV) to the US Army.
Vehicle construction will occur in Anniston, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of 30 June 2025.
Fiscal 2024 weapons and tracked combat vehicle procurement, Army funds, in the amount of $11.2m (£8.9m) were obligated at the time of the award.
The M1150 ABV is a hybrid between General Dynamics’ M1 Abrams main battle tank and a harvesting machine, which offers crew safety and vehicle survivability while maintaining the necessary speed and agility to stay in sync with the manoeuvre force.
Pearson has provided the specially designed plow and the other mine-clearing accessories that are integrated onto the front of the Abrams hull.
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In 2022, Rafael acquired Pearson. At the time, the third-largest Israeli defence company stated:
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By GlobalData“Pearson Engineering’s activity is supported by an outstanding legacy of excellence in innovation… By acquiring this company, [Rafael] will be able to enhance and expand Pearson Engineering’s manufacturing capabilities in the UK, thus strengthening our UK supply chain to better support our customers.”
ABV development
Originally developed by the US DoD, the ABV was adopted in 2009. US Marines used the M1150 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, during an operation in December 2009. They have since decommissioned the vehicles in 2023.
Although, in November 2023, an ABV was displayed in Ukraine as part of a ceremony marking Ukraine’s Rocket Forces and Artillery and Engineering Troops Day.
A total of 239 M1150 ABVs have been manufactured until November 2023.
An M1150 comprises an Abrams tank hull and a distinctive turret accommodating two linear demolition charge systems featuring two mine-clearing line charges (MICLIC) apart from rockets.
Additionally, it includes a lane marking system (LMS), an integrated vision system (IVS), and a high lift adapter that can be used to attach either a full-width mine plough (FWMP) or a combat dozer blade.
The 12-metre (m) long combat vehicle weighs 72 tonnes and has the capability to accommodate two crew members.
The unique 4.6m-wide mine plough attached to the front of the vehicle is bolstered by metal skis that slide along the ground as the vehicle moves forward. It establishes a cleared pathway of tank width through a minefield by deploying and detonating one of its MICLIC systems across the field. The vehicle reinforces the pathway using its FWMP and designates the cleared route with its LMS.
De-mining in Ukraine
On 18 September 2023, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence announced that it had surveyed the liberated territory of the Kherson region. Sappers used Danish drones across almost 600 hectares of agricultural land where they detected more than 1,500 magnetic anomalies.
As a result, Lithuania has garnered more support in the past few months for the Demining Capability Coalition it established in June 2023 in support of Ukraine.
Currently, the coalition includes Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. Its strategy is based on a ‘train and equip’ principle to supply the Ukrainian military with demining equipment and personnel training.
Ukraine’s de-mining struggle reflects the enduring utility of the ABV in an era of warfare in which belligerents are not yet beyond the use of traditional mines.
