There is one more window behind the driver’s seat that is protected by reinforced wire mesh to protect it if the winch cable breaks and snaps back. The door on the left and the right wall of the cab each have single opening windows. The central window is the largest and is fitted with a powered wiper.
LARGEST DOZER EVER BUILT WINDOWS
There are a total of five windows at the front of the cab. The operator gains access via a door on the left side of the cab. The vehicle is unarmed, but there is a bracket in the cab for the operator to store his personal weapon. This was purposely designed so regular infantrymen would find it easy to control and operate the vehicle without needing to be a specialized vehicle operator. Inside the air-conditioned cab, a steering wheel and foot pedals, much like a military truck, can be found. The M105 is far easier to control than previous dozers operated by the military. Note the 5 windows on the cab, the running board/fender that runs the length of the vehicle, and the cutouts under the cab for the dozer blade’s pistons. This photo shows the front and cab of the M105 DEUCE. DEUCEs of Engineer Troop, 2nd Cavalry Regiment at the Grafenwöhr Training Area in August 2009. Aside from what may be ballistic glass on the cab (at the time of writing, it is unclear whether it is standard safety or ballistic glass), the DEUCE is completely unarmored. Due to its intended use, the M9 was at least partially armored. The DEUCE was intended for behind-the-lines work, such as flattening ground for roads or clearing areas for building construction. Whereas the M9 ACE was designed to operate in combat conditions, the M105 was not.
It can also be air-dropped via parachute from a C-130. The DEUCE is air deployable and can be carried by C-130 Hercules, C-141 Starlifter, C-5 Galaxy or C-17 Globemaster cargo aircraft. The dozer’s blade is located underneath the cab, with the engine and running gear towards the rear.
The DEUCE is a one-man vehicle, operated from a cab at the front of the dozer. This is heavier than the larger M9, but this is mostly due to the fact that the M9 was largely hollow. The vehicle is extremely compact in its design at 19 feet 3 inches (5.8 meters) long, 9 feet 7 inches (2.9 meters) wide, and 9 feet 1 inch (2.7 meters) high. The DEUCE didn’t change much from its 30/30 EST dozer origins. Photo: Caterpillar Chronicle: History of the Greatest Earthmovers Design The prototype 30/30 Engineer Support Tractor (EST). A small number have also served with the British Army. Approximately 227 M105 have been produced and are currently in service with the United States Military. The vehicles finally entered service in 1999. Caterpillar were then granted a contract for construction, with the dozers costing $362,687 each. This design was agreed upon and it was serialized as the M105. In 1996, Caterpillar came back with a revised design. As such, just one 30/30 prototype was built. This vehicle was expensive, however, and due to budget cutbacks of prospective buyers, Caterpillar never received an order.
The ‘30/30’ designation came from a 30 mph top speed, and a total weight of 30,000 pounds. This initial vehicle was known as the 30/30 Engineer Support Tractor. Development of what would become the M105 started in late 1995. This high-mobility dozer emerged from the partnership between the Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) of Warren, Michigan, and the Defense and Federal Products department of the construction industry giant, Caterpillar Inc, based in Mossville, Illinois. The Deployable Universal Combat Earthmover M105, otherwise known as the ‘DEUCE’. It can be deployed alongside airborne troops and is fast enough to re-deploy from task-to-task without the need of a separate transporter vehicle. The M105 is a much lighter vehicle than the other two vehicles and it is air-transportable, self-deployable (meaning it can be driven to where it is needed) and air-droppable. The M105 was brought into existence to replace the veteran Caterpillar D5 Bulldozer and, to a lesser extent, supplement the somewhat loathed M9 Armored Combat Earthmover (ACE). The Deployable Universal Combat Earthmover M105, otherwise known as the ‘DEUCE’, was born out of this need. As well as armed and armored vehicles, this need also translated to engineering vehicles. Put simply, this was the ability to be deployed wherever needed, in the shortest time possible, often relying on airborne deployments. In the mid-1990s, the prevailing trend for vehicles in the United States Army was for them to be capable of ‘Rapid Reaction’.
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