The M1A2 SEP V3 main battle tank after the SLICE engineering kit is installed. Data picture

  Not long ago, relevant Polish parties reached an agreement with a British engineering company to expand the functions of the M1A2 SEP V3 main battle tank. By installing a modular engineering kit, this main battle tank can be transformed into an engineering vehicle in a short time, performing tasks such as mine clearance and obstacle cleaning.

  In people's impression, the function of the main battle tank is to charge into battle wearing heavy armor. Poland chose to add engineering kits for the M1A2 SEP V3, not to abandon this main function, but to adjust based on new requirements under modern war conditions.

  Faced with the complex terrain on the battlefield and the situations that minefields and obstacles may occur at any time, the Polish military discovered in its deduction that traditional engineering vehicles are not mobility and have weak protection, and in many cases, they cannot appear and deploy in the required locations very quickly. To solve this problem, relevant Polish parties turned their attention to the M1A2 SEP V3 main battle tanks installed, and required the development of modular engineering kits that can be installed and disassembled on this type of tank, so that the armored troops can obtain more "hands-on" engineering vehicles.

  The SLICE engineering kit adopts a modular design equipment interface, and its accessories include minesweeping shovels, bulldozers, etc., which can be adapted to a variety of vehicles, including tanks. The kit integrates hydraulic power and control systems internally, so it can run without too much "surgery" on the tank. It is worth mentioning that the kit is easy to use, and it can be installed on the tank in just over a dozen minutes with the combination of crane and some basic tools. After that, properly trained personnel can complete the installation of relevant accessories in the combat environment in just two minutes, thereby completing the switching from combat mode to engineering mode.

  After completing the engineering work, the M1A2 SEP V3 main battle tank can be quickly restored to combat configuration through the fast throwing function.

  This modification idea in Poland has certain advantages. The easy-to-install and unloading of the kit allows users to increase or decrease the number of main combat platforms and engineering vehicles according to the situation, which is conducive to maintaining combat flexibility and efficiency.

  However, this approach also has its disadvantage, that is, the emergence of the kit requires users to increase additional transportation power to transport it, and the main battle tank used as a construction vehicle will also greatly increase the loss of main battle equipment. Whether this modification is effective in actual combat will take time to verify. (Guo Wencong, Qin Zhengwei)

[Editor in charge: Wang Jinzhi]