INTERMEDIATE BUILD
Gary Radford takes on an unusual subject in the form of Rye Field Model’s 1/35 mine-clearing M1 Assault Breacher.
Mine-clearance vehicles often have unusual appearances and the M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) – based on the M1 Abrams tank chassis – is no exception. With its multiple armatures and mine ploughs it was christened ‘The Shredder’ by US Army crews… the name of a villain in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film/cartoon/comic franchise. The M1’s turret is replaced by a smaller version protected by explosive-reactive armour (ERA) and has a two-man crew – a driver and commander. It can also be operated remotely in high-risk situations.
Defensive weaponry comprises a single cupola-mounted .50cal heavy machine gun, plus banks of smoke-grenade launchers. The ABV’s primary mine-clearance equipment is two-fold: a pair of Linear Demolition Charge Systems (LDCS – each holding an M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge – commonly called MICLIC), a full-width Pearson mine plough and a clear-Lane Marking System (LMS). This last item fires flagged darts into the ground at asset intervals to show follow-on forces which areas are cleared of mines. Designed initially for the US Marine Corps (USMC) – and being used heav…
