The M9 ACE ("Armored Combat Earthmover") is a frontline military-grade tracked bulldozer utilized by the United States Army. The system was developed to allow forces the ability to dig entrenchments for various artillery pieces while also fulfilling the roles of minefield breaching/clearance, trench crossing/filling, general bulldozing, grading, excavation, route-/area-proofing and pushing/towing of vehicles and/or obstacles. The M9 ACE entered service in 1986 and upgrade programs have kept the machine a viable battlefield piece for American forces. Despite it not being armed, the M9 series has seen its fair share of combat in other ways.
As designed, the M9 weighs in a 36,000lb and features single crew member. The vehicle showcases dimensions of 6.25 meters long, a width of 3.2 meters and a height of 2.7 meters. The crew sits protected under the armored hull superstructure allowing them to continue to operate even when under threat of direct fire from the enemy. Protection is adequate against small arms and fire and artillery spray. Vision ports allow for the necessary situational awareness and project direction. The vehicles configuration is conventional with a dozer blade set to the front of the hull and the crew compartment aft. Running gear includes a track-and-wheel arrangement featuring four road wheels to a hull side with the drive sprocket at rear. The vehicle can promote its own smokescreen through the bank of eight smoke grenade launchers fitted to the hull roof. The M9 line features an amphibious quality as well as an integrated Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) suite.
Key to the M9's success is its 8.7-cubic-yard "scraper bowl" and bulldozer blade. The hydro-pneumatic suspension allows the front of the vehicle to be raised, lowered or tilted to permit either dozing, excavating, rough grading or ditching functions. The system sports a 2-speed winch with a 25,000 pound pull capability. As the vehicle features no armament for self-defense, it is typically fielded along with other allied units such as Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs).
With its introduction in the mid-to-late 1980s, the M9 ACE was featured by U.S. Army forces in the 1991 Persian Gulf War as Allied ground forces moved against Iraqi units in Kuwait. The vehicles played a critical role in removing road obstacles for the main ground force and in breaching prepared Iraqi Army fortifications. Combined with other elements for protection, M9's served dutifully in their role when dismantling the "Forth Largest Army in the World" at that time.
Due to the rather compact dimensions of the M9 ACE vehicle, it is easily transportable in the hold of a Lockheed C-130 "Hercules" transport as well as the larger Lockheed C-141 "Starlifter" and Lockheed C-5 "Galaxy" heavy lifters.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Amphibious Assault
Traverse bodies of open water under own power with / without preparation.
✓Engineering
Onboard systems provide solutions to accomplish a variety of battlefield engineering tasks.
✓Special Purpose
Special purpose design developed to accomplish an equally-special battlefield role or roles.
Length
20.3 ft 6.2 m
Width
10.5 ft 3.2 m
Height
9.8 ft 3 m
Weight
53,793 lb 24,400 kg
Tonnage
26.9 tons MEDIUM
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base M9 ACE (Armored Combat Earthmover) production variant. Length typically includes main gun in forward position if applicable to the design)
(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)
8 x Smoke Grenades.
M9 ACE - Base Series Designation; model of 1986
M9 ACE System Improvement Plan (SIP) - Multi-phased improvement program for upgraded existing M9 ACE fleet.
M9 ACE Standardized Robotic System (SRS) - Proposed unmanned remote-controlled variant.
KM9 - Korean Army designation
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.
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Egypt; South Korea (as KM9); United States
