This is MathKnight's page. It is dedicated to the
IDF Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer,
which showed prominence and vitality in the war against terrorism, both against Palestinian terrorists and Hizbullah. The D9R\T boosts 405-410 horsepower to produce 71.6 tons (716 kN) of drawbar pull, enable it to tow heavy main battle tanks and push hugh mounds of dirt\earth. The massive and venerable IDF CAT D9 has becometh a defensive shield both to Israeli forces and Israeli civilians.

IDF D9R. This armoured bulldozer withstood heavy IEDs and even deflected RPG rounds and AT missiles, thus saving many lives. Beside of saving its operators' lives the D9 turned out as a life-saving answer to terrorism.
(picture of an armoured IDF D9R with add-on slat armour, taken by FiReBall from Fresh and modified by Zachi Evenor)

The Israeli armored Caterpillar D9 bulldozer ("Dooby", lit. "Teddy Bear") is one the best answers the IDF has to (counter) terrorism. Armored by the IDF\TAAS\IAI to withstand giant explosive and hostile fire, it is resistant to landmines and bulletproof. This dozer provides thick hide to the heroes from the Combat Engineering Corps that operate it. It saved many lives, both of its operators and both of other soldiers and civilians.
This armored behemoth weighs more than 62 ton, with 410 horse-power and drawbar pull of 71.6 tons (D9T, the D9R has 405 hp). The D9 is a front-line tool in the battle against terrorism. It rescued damaged AFVs, detonated IEDs, cleared paths, destroyed booby-traps, demolished terrorist structures and infrastructure (including under fire) and provided cover for IDF soldiers. Some senior terrorists were killed (such as Muhammed Tawalbe in Jenin) after the D9 toppled their house over their head, thus preventing them to commit another mass-murder acts of terrorism. It showed prominence in Jenin 2002 (Operation Defensive Shield) and in Rafah in 2004 (Operation Rainbow) and even in the Second Lebanon War (2006), cutting down IDF casualties (such as by clearing IEDs of 500kg (!) that could easily destroy a main battle tank) and saving Israeli lives. The D9 been a key engineering vehicle in Yom Kippur War (1973), helping to breach the way to the Suez Canal, towing bridges and helping to bridge it. It was also the first motorized vehicle to reach the peak of mount Hermon, thus preventing it to fall to the hands of the Syrians. The Caterpillar D9 is a feat of engineering and excellent bulldozer, which got highly favorable review from everyone who benefited its usage.

By looking at the links below and the PDF you can learn more about the Dooby ("Teddy-Bear") that has becometh the terrorist's worst nightmare (by par with the AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship and the Shabak - Israel General Security Service) in the skilled hands of the Israeli Combat Engineering Corps.

IDF D9L (WikiCommons). When the armoured dozers entered Jenin, the tide was turned and the terrorist forces were crushed. Arch-terrorist Mahmoud Tawalbe, the head of the terrorists in Jenin and a mass-murderer, was killed by a D9 who toppled a wall over him. IDF D9N near the anti-terrorist security fence. Taken by joeskillet. IDF D9R demolishes house which used for terrorist activity: shooting attacks on Israelis near Netzarim.

Information about the IDF D9 in English
IDF Caterpillar D9 - General Characteristics

Pictures by Zachi Evenor and MathKnight
Engineering Role: Heavy Bulldozer
Crew: 2, commander and operator
Propulsion: Caterpillar tracks
Engine model:CAT C18 ACERT (D9T)
3408 HEUI (D9R)
Gross power: 464 hp (346 kW) D9T
474 hp (354 kW) D9R
Flywheel power:410 hp (306 kW) D9T
410 hp (306 kW) D9R
375 hp (280 kW) D9N
460 hp (343 kW) D9L
Drawbar pull: 71.6 tons (716 kN)
Operation Weight:48,784 kg (107,550 lbs) (without armor)
about 62,000 kg (with armor)
Length: 8.1 m (26.5 ft)
Width: 4.5 m (14.7 ft) (blade)
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Speed:11.9 km/h) (7.3 MPH) Forward
14.7 km/h (9.1 MPH) Reverse
Blade capacity: 13.5 m^3 (17.7 yd^3) 9 SU blade
16.4 m^3 (21.4 yd^3) 9 U blade
Price: 250,000 - 500,000 dollars
Armor protection: armor plates, armored glass windows, slat armor - bullet-proof and mine-resistant, can withstand RPGs
Operated by: IDF Combat Engineering Corps - TZAMA (Engineering Vehicles) units
US Marine Corps, US Army - Corps of Engineers
Noteable campaigns and operations:Yom Kippur War (1973), Operation Peace for Galilee (1982), The Second Intifada (2000-ongoing) Operation Defensive Shield (2002), Operation Rainbow (2004), 2nd Lebanon war (2006)


The Caterpillar D9 is a large track-type tractor designed and manufactured by Caterpillar Inc. Though it comes in many configurations it is usually sold as a bulldozer equipped with a detachable large blade and a rear ripper attachment. The D9, with 354 kW (474 hp) of gross power and an operating weight of 49 tons, is in the upper end, but not the heaviest, of Caterpillar's track-type tractors, which range in size from the D3 57 kW (77 hp), 8 tons, to the D11 698 kW (935 hp), 104 tons.

CAT D9R drawing, from Caterpillar website, fair use.
The D9's primary working tools are the blade, affixed to the front and controled by 4 hydraulic arms, and the optional ripper, which can be attached to the back. The blade is mainly intended for earthmoving and bulk material handling: pushing up sand, dirt and rubble. It also can be used to push other heavy equipment such as earthmoving scraper pans, and in military applications, main battle tanks. The rear ripper is intended for use in loosening rockey ground and ripping out larger stones. It can also break frozen ground.

The D9 has undergone several generations of engineering enhancements. The current version is the D9R but the older models such as the D9N and D9L are still common. The L, N and R models of the D9 are visually very similar, differing primarily in the design of their internal systems.

The size and weight of the larger track-type tractors dictate that they are used primarily for major projects. The D9 is most commonly found in use in construction, forestry, mining, waste, and quarry operations. The size, durability, reliability, and low operating costs have made the D9 one of the most popular large track-type tractors in the world, and the same attributes that made it popular for hard and demanding works made it suitable to military and combat engineering applications.

IDF D9R. This armored bulldozer withstood heavy IEDs and even deflected RPG rounds and AT missiles, thus saving many lives. Beside of saving its operators' lives the D9 turned out as a life-saving answer to terrorism. Picture by Zachi Evenor & MathKnight The Israeli Armored D9, nicknamed Dooby (Hebrew: דובי‎; lit. teddy bear) is a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer that was modified by the Israel Defence Forces, Israeli Military Industries and Israel Aerospace Industries to increase the survivability of the dozer in hostile environments and enable it to withstand heavy attacks. It saved many lives, both of its operators and both of other soldiers and civilians.

The D9R, the latest generation of D9 bulldozers in IDF service, has a power of 405 horse power and drawbar pull of 71.6 metric tons (about 716 kN). It has a crew of two: operator and commander. It is operated by the TZAMA (צמ"ה = ציוד מכני הנדסי, Mechanical Engineering Equipment) units of the Israeli Combat Engineering Corps.

The main IDF modification is the installation of an Israeli-made armor kit which provides armor protection to the mechanical systems and to the operator cabin. The operator and commander are protected inside an armored cabin ("the cockpit"), with bulletproof windows to protect against bombs, machinegun, and sniper fire. The IDF also developed a slat armor add-on to deflect RPG rounds. The fitted armor package adds roughly 15 additional tons to the production-line weight of the D9. The modified D9 bulldozers can be fitted with disparate features, such as crew-operated machine guns – such as the FN MAG 7.62mm machine-gun, smoke projectors, or smoke grenade launchers.

D9R. Image by Michael Aronov. The D9 served in the IDF since its creation. D9Gs and D9Hs served during the Israeli Wars with great success but without armor protection. A standard armor was developed by TAAS (a crew headed by Yigal Kasher) to the D9L and D9N models, which are still in service in the IDF today. The D9L has 460 hp and 4 gears in the high sprocket design. The D9N is smaller, with only 375 hp and 3 gears in the high sprocket design. The left window arrangement was modified to a zigzag pattern in order to enable better view to the commander. The current D9 model in IDF service is the D9R, with 405 hp and drawbar pull of more than 71 tons. The D9R armor kit was developed by MASHA (מש"א, Maintenance and Restoration Center ) and Ramta division of the IAI, it includes new carbine armor to enhance visibility for the crew without compromising on defense. In 2005 a slat armor and protection improvements were introduced by MASHA and CHATAL (Technological Division of Ground Army). The D9s' armor proved to be highly effective against Palestinian weapons, and considered a great success, as no D9 operator was killed during the eight-years Second Intifada.

The different models of D9 in IDF service: D9L, D9N and D9R. Taken from WikiCommons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:D9-models001a.jpg

The IDF uses the D9 for a wide variety of engineering tasks, such as earthworks, digging moats, mounting sand barriers, building fortifications, rescuing stucked, overturned or damaged armored fighting vehicles (along with M88 Recovery Vehicle), clearing landmines, detonating IEDs and explosives, clearing terrain obstacles and opening routes to armored fighting vehicles and infantry, as well as structures demolition, including under fire. The D9s were employed successfully during the wars of Israel. They open routes for armored vehicles and breached the Arabs' terrain obstacles and landmines. An Israeli D9 was the first ever motorize vehicle to reach the peak of Mount Chermon during the Yom Kippur War (1973). D9s also took part in breaching the Suez canal by towing bridges and barges, clearing the way and destroying sand barriers. During the Lebanon War (1982) and afterward the D9s were essential in opening routes and paving ways for IDF armored columns. They also cleared landmines and built fortifications.

D9R. Photo by Michael Aronov During the Second Intifada the armored D9 bulldozer gain notoriety as being an effective tool against terrorists and Palestinian threats, as they were almost impervious to Palestinian weapons and withstood even RPGs and Belly charges with more than 100kg and even half a ton of explosive. Therefore they were used to open safe routes to IDF forces and detonate explosive charges. The bulldozer was used extensively to clear shrubbery and structures which was used as cover for Palestinian attacks. This measure, called "Hissuf", reduced terrorist ambushes drastically. In addition they razed houses of families of suicide bombers.

Following several incidents where armed Palestinians barricaded themselves inside houses and killed soldiers attempting to breach the entries, the IDF developed "Noal Sir Lachatz" (נוהל סיר לחץ "Pressure Pot Regulation") in which D9s and other engineering vehicles were used to bring them out by razing the houses; most of them surrendered because of fears of being buried alive, but some, including senior terrorists, were killed when the bulldozers toppled the houses over them after they refused to surrender.

During the Battle of Jenin 2002 D9 bulldozers razed houses from which militants fired upon Israeli soldiers or contained possible IEDs and booby traps. After the deadly ambush in which 13 soldiers were killed the D9s razed the center of the camp and forced the remaining Palestinian terrorists to surrender, thus finishing the battle with an Israeli victory without further Israeli casualties. It was a D9 bulldozer, who killed Mahmoud Tawalbe, a vicious terrorist master-mind and the leader of the Islamic Jihad in Jenin, after it rammed down a wall upon him. The unit of the D9 operators received Recommendation of Honor (Tzalash, צל"ש) for its conduct in Jenin.

D9R. Photo by Michael Aronov In Rafah and near the Philadelphie Route the D9s razed thousands of buildings according to human rights reports, as a security measure necessary to discover and destroy smuggling tunnels and destroy firing positions (of machineguns and RPGs) that threaten the forces in the area. During Operation Rainbow in Rafah, the heavy utilization of D9 armored bulldozers was one of the main reasons that the battle ended with no casualties to IDF forces (but with 40 dead terrorists). The D9 also served as a moving defensive shield to Combat Engineers, infantry and light armored vehicles. During the operations in the Gaza Strip, the D9 led the column of armor, clearing the way from obstacles, IEDs and improvised landmines.

While Palestinians saw the D9 as a devastating weapon, and human rights groups criticized it for the massive damage it caused to Palestinian infrastructure (though it was needed to combat Palestinian terrorist who use civilians as human shield and civilian infrastructure as shelter), Israelis and military experts such as Yagil Henkin and Martin van Creveld saw the D9 as a necessary tool for combatting insurgency and terrorism and a key factor in reducing IDF casualties.

The US armed forces were highly impressed from the D9 effectiveness in battling terrorism and purchased armor kits from Israel. A field review of the Marines Corps stated that the D9 "received highly favorable reviews from all who benefited from their usage" and estimated a one D9 is the equivalent of four D7s.
Text taken from the English Wikipedia, written originally by MathKnight and adopted to this page by MathKnight and Zachi Evenor. Side pictures (except for the 1st), were taken by Michael Aronov.

PDF file:
See link to D9 pdf written & edited in Hebrew by me and by Zachi Evenor and ArmouredDov_D9 (from Fresh)
(It is coptrighted and includes fair use material, but you are free to read it and download):
http://www.mediafire.com/file/crskhsk7u23/IDF-D9.pdf (with ads before downloading, due to data transfer limit I was forced to put it in external server. Sorry for the inconvenience but the reading worth while)

The Bulldozers' War:
Article in Hebrew by Zachi Evenor about the D9 in the Second Intifada. Originally published in Legoz, 2003.
(It is coptrighted and includes fair use material, but you are free to read it and download):
http://www.mediafire.com/file/8falo4d2a4c/Bulldozers-war.pdf (with ads before downloading, due to data transfer limit I was forced to put it in external server. Sorry for the inconvenience but the reading worth while)
Teddy-Bears' Tales:
A story by IDF reporter Tal Zagraba about the D9 bulldozers in Operation Cast Lead against Hamas terrorism
http://www.mediafire.com/file/qktxjjnv1mg/Teddybears-Tales.pdf (with ads before downloading, due to data transfer limit I was forced to put it in external server. Sorry for the inconvenience but the reading worth while)

Wallpapers:

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge and see full picture.

IDF Caterpillar D9R armored bulldozer, with slat armor add-on. Photoes by MathKnight and Zachi Evenor, small picture with flag by FiReBall
Click on the thumbnail to enlarge and see full picture.

IDF Caterpillar D9R armored bulldozer, with slat armor add-on. Photoes by MathKnight and Zachi Evenor, Black Mammmba and Shpitz's friend.
Click on the thumbnail to enlarge and see full picture.


See more links:


US Army D9Rs. When the US armed forces needed an answer to Arab-Islamist terrorism they bought D9R bulldozers from Israel. The armoured dozers are operated by both the Army and the USMC (Marines). (WikiCommon, US Army file, taken by Spc. Jose Ferrufino)

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