Bobcat Construction Equipment (and FAMECE)

[Gelrir]

A couple of paragraphs from The Engineer, "... an authorized quarterly publication of the U.S. Army Engineer School", early 1976:

An improved Universal Engineer Tractor (UET) developed by the Product Manager, FAMECE/UET at the U.S. Army Mobility Equipment Research and Development Command (MERADCOM), Fort Belvoir, VA is undergoing extensive government acceptance testing at the Aberdeen (MD) Proving Grounds.

The latest version of the UET incorporates all the desirable characteristics of earlier models, such as versatility, mobility and air transportability, plus greater durability and reliability.

The multi-purpose, tracked UET can doze, scrape, rough grade, tow, dump and haul, to perform the earthmoving tasks required in a combat engineer unit. It features the ballast concept to keep its 32,000 pound weight within the limits for air transport and air drop and high cross country mobility while providing the work capacity of a heavier unit. The front-loaded with 8 cubic yards of soil it provides enough additional weight to almost double the UET's earthmoving capacity.

With a speed of 30 mph on level ground and outstanding cross-country mobility, the UET will, for the first time, provide the combat engineer with the mission capability to travel and to keep pace with armored units. It also is fitted with light armor protection, and has a limited swim capacity of 3 mph.

The scraper bowl is fitted with a hydraulically operated apron and positive load ejector. Dozing and scraping are accomplished by raising and lowering the UET's entire front end by means of the hydro-pneumatic suspension system. The 285 HP diesel engine provides more than sufficient power for all operations.

The four current pilot models built by Pacific Car and Foundry Company have completed the MASSTER test in December 1975 and are scheduled for completion of APG tests in July 1976. To date test results indicate that reliability problems encountered with previously built prototypes fabricated earlier in the development program have been overcome and that the UET will provide features of mobility, versatility, and maneuverability required to support combat forces.

This isn't the FAMECE we've been discussing, since it's a lightly-armored, tracked, sorta-amphibious vehicle, not by Clark nor Lockheed. I presume it's the ancestor of the M9 ACE bulldozer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M9_Armo...bat_Earthmover

In any case: the FAMECE requirement seems to have morphed into the M9, or something very close to the M9. The M9 seems kinda Project-y, what with light armor, amphibious (originally), and that big "ballast" box (good for carrying all sorts of things).


--
Michael B.