A prototype of Terrier - the 300 million combat engineer vehicle under development for the Army by BAE Systems - was officially unveiled by Minister for Defence Procurement, Lord Drayson, on 27 May 2005 at BAE Systems, Leicester.
Designed to withstand mine explosions, small arms fire and artillery while digging trenches or clearing obstacles for the infantry, Terrier will become a vital tool for the Royal Engineers when it enters service towards the end of the decade. It will be equipped with a machine gun for self defence, but can be entirely operated by remote control, should the area it needs to work in be initially too dangerous for troops to enter.
As well as being able to operate under fire, Terrier will also be equally important for peacetime operations, and by replacing its mine plough with a fork lift will be able to move supplies for troops or humanitarian aid.
