Editing M728 combat engineer vehicle (section)

==Design==
[[File:Combat Engineer Vehicle, M728.jpg|thumb|left|Combat engineer vehicle T118E1]]

===Development and production===
Prototype development began in the late 1940s at [[Ft. Belvoir]], VA by the US Army Engineer Research & Development Laboratories in conjunction with Chrysler. These early T39 Demolition Tank prototypes were based on the [[M26 Pershing|M26]] using several different modified turrets, demolition guns and heavy mortars. The T118 prototypes used the [[T95 Medium Tank|T95]] hull beginning in 1960. Both prototypes went through extensive testing at the [[Aberdeen Proving Grounds]] through 1963 and final trials in 1964. The T118E1, with a modified [[M60 Patton|M60A1]] turret was then accepted into service as the M728 in 1965 and achieved operational capability in 1968.<ref>Tank Data, vol. 3. Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD: US Army Ordnance School, Jul 1968.</ref>  The turrets for the M728 were manufactured at Chrysler Corp.'s [[Detroit Arsenal (Warren, Michigan)|Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant]], Warren, Michigan.  Final assembly and mating to the vehicle hulls was performed at Anniston Army Depot in Alabama.<ref name="Hunnicutt 1984, pp. 439–443">[[#Hunnicutt 1984|Hunnicutt 1984]], pp. 439–443</ref>  Initial production of the M728 was from 1965 to 1972.  Many of the M782A1s were former M60A2 Patton tanks converted to M728A1s from 1982 to 1987. All M728A1s were converted and assembled at the [[Anniston Army Depot]] under contract with [[General Dynamics Land Systems]]<ref name="digital.library.unt.edu"/> with a total of 312 of all variants produced.<ref name="mtc"/><ref name="fas.org">{{Cite web |url=https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m728.htm |title=M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle (CEV) |access-date=2018-09-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160721153744/http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m728.htm |archive-date=2016-07-21 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Description===
The M728 is a full-tracked combat engineer vehicle designed to provide maximum ballistic protection for the crew. It is a heavily armed derivative of the M60 series tank modified to provide a mobile and maneuverable weapon for combat support of ground troops and vehicles. The M728 vehicle is used for breaching, obstacle removal, and pioneering operations. 
Although the M728 consists of a tank hull and a short-barreled turret, it is not a tank and should not be routinely used against enemy tanks. It is an excellent heavy assault support vehicle when used as part of a combined engineer-infantry team. The CEV is issued two per Engineer Company in the Heavy Division, two per Engineer Company in Corps (Mechanized), three per Engineer Company in Armor/Infantry Separate Brigades and three per Engineer Company in the Armored Cavalry Regiment. 

[[File:M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle woodland from right.jpg|thumb|left|The M728 CEV with an M9 dozer blade assembly and the A-frame crane boom deployed]]

It is usually equipped with either a hydraulically operated M9 dozer blade assembly or a D7 [[mine plough]]. The M9 dozer blade Assembly is used for clearing the way, filling depressions, leveling ground and for other purposes. The D7 mine plough is a V-shaped plough that performs countermine activities by lifting surface laid mines and pushing them to the side as the vehicle moves forward. They are controlled by the driver.
A winch and retractable A-frame crane are mounted on the turret for lifting, carrying and winching operations. The hull front contains the driver's compartment, controls and instruments. The hull rear contains the engine, transmission, fuel tanks, and related automotive components. The turret has positions for the commander, gunner, and loader.<ref name="fas.org"/> The vehicle is also equipped with an [[Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear|NBC protection system]] for the crew.
It can produce a limited smokescreen by dumping raw diesel fuel into the exhaust system to visually obscure the area around the vehicle as well as provide a limited vehicle recovery capability.<ref name="inetres.com">{{Cite web |url=http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/cv/eng/M728.html |title=M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle |access-date=2018-09-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923201403/http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/cv/eng/M728.html |archive-date=2018-09-23 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Armament===
The vehicle is armed with a [[Royal Ordnance L9|165mm M135]] short-barreled demolition gun with 30 rounds of [[High-explosive squash head|HEP]] (high explosive, plastic) ammunition. The M135 is a license-built copy of the [[Royal Ordnance L9|165 mm L9A1]] gun that was used on the [[British Army]]'s [[Centurion tank#UK specialist variants|FV4003 Centurion Mk.5 AVRE]] ([[Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers]]) tank. Depending on the usage, the gun can be depressed and elevated against targets up to an effective range of {{Convert|925|m|yd}}. The gun's primary purpose is for clearing defensive fixtures and obstacles, such as walls, fences, roadblocks and bunkers, or for destroying buildings and is generally not meant to be for use in [[Anti-personnel weapon|anti-personnel]] or [[anti-tank warfare]]. The pushing and heaving effects caused by the HEP round's base detonating fuze and large amount of explosive can demolish barriers and knock down walls. One round creates a 1-foot (0.3 m) diameter hole in a 7-inch (178&nbsp;mm) thick reinforced concrete wall. The round's effects against bunkers and field fortifications are dramatic, often crushing or smashing entire walls. The gun fires two types of fixed ammunition, the M123E1 HEP Round and the M623 Target Practice Round.  The main gun has a [[Weapon mount#Coaxial|coaxial]] [[7.62×51mm NATO]] [[M240 machine gun|M240E1 machine gun]], with 2,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. In addition, a [[.50 BMG|.50 caliber]] [[M85 machine gun]] is mounted in the [[Weapon mount#Turret|commander's cupola]]; this has 600 rounds of ammunition.