Battle for the Titans

The Ministry of Defence has unveiled Trojan and Titan, 60 tonne armoured engineering tanks from BAE Systems which are capable of travelling at speeds up to 56km/h.

The Royal Engineers are receiving 66 of the vehicles under a £250m contract with BAE Systems Land Systems. BAE claims the combined capability of Trojan and Titan can overcome almost every obstacle on the modern battlefield, from breaching minefields to crossing rivers and chasms.

Trojan can plough through minefields, and dig trenches and defensive ditches, while Titan can lay a bridge over a 26m gap in two minutes whilst maintaining full crew protection. BAE says this feat makes it the fastest bridge-layer in the world.

Trojan is a minefield-breaching machine which prepares and marks safe routes using an obstacle marking system. It also clears complex obstacles and provides short gap crossing utilising its excavator arm, earth-moving blade and a midi fascine.

Titan carries and lays close support bridges, laying them faster, and in a wider variety of terrain conditions, than previous equipment. Both vehicles are designed to mount and tow the current range of in-service Royal Engineer equipment.

The 66 production vehicles are now being built at BAE Systems Land Systems’ facility in Newcastle, which currently employs around 550 people. The contract was awarded in 2001 for 33 Trojan and 33 Titan and these are now entering service with the Royal Engineers, with all vehicles due to be delivered by 2008.

Suppliers on the programme include Caterpillar, David Brown Engineering, domnick hunter, Kidde Graviner, Ferranti Technologies, Joyce Loebl, Parker Hannifin, Pearson Engineering, Thales AFV, TMS Publications, Ultra Electronics and William Cook Defence.