Editing Combat engineer (section)

==Practices and techniques==
Combat engineers are force multipliers and enhance the survival of other troops through the use and practice of camouflage, reconnaissance, communications and other services. These include the construction of roads, bridges, [[field fortification]]s, obstacles and the construction and running of water points. In these roles, combat engineers use a wide variety of hand and power tools. They are also responsible for construction rigging, the use of [[explosive]]s, and the carrying out of demolitions, obstacle clearance, and obstacle construction, assault of fortifications, use of [[assault boat]]s in water obstacle crossings, [[helipad]] construction, general construction, [[route reconnaissance]] and road reconnaissance, and erecting communication installations. Combat engineers build and run water distribution points, carrying out water filtration, and NBC decontamination when necessary, and storage prior to distribution.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

All these role activities and technologies are divided into several areas of combat engineering:

=== Mobility ===
Improving the ability of one's own force to move around the battlefield. Combat engineers typically support this role through reduction of enemy obstacles which include point and row minefields, anti-tank ditches, wire obstacles, concrete, and metal anti-vehicle barriers, and [[improvised explosive device]]s  (IED) and wall and [[door breaching]] in urban terrain. Mechanized combat engineer units also have armored vehicles capable of laying short bridges for limited gap-crossing.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}
* Clearing terrain obstacles
* Overcoming [[trench]]es and ditches
* Opening routes for [[armored fighting vehicle]]s
* Constructing [[road]]s and [[bridge]]s
* [[Route clearance]]

=== Countermobility ===
Building obstacles to prevent the enemy from moving around the battlefield. Destroying bridges, blocking roads, creating airstrips, digging trenches, etc. Can also include planting [[land mine]]s and [[anti-handling device]]s when authorized and directed to do so.{{citation needed| date=June 2018}}

When the defender must [[retreat (military)|retreat]] it is often desirable to destroy anything that may be of use to the enemy, particularly bridges, as their destruction can slow the [[Offensive (military)|advance]] of the attackers.
* Planting land mines
* Digging trenches and ditches
* Demolishing roads and bridges

=== Explosive material handling ===
The placement of [[land mine]]s to create [[minefield]]s and their maintenance and removal.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}
* Clearing fields of [[land mine]]s
* Demolition

[[File:IDF-D9R-Independence-Day-2017-Latrun-IZE-066.jpg|thumb|The [[IDF Caterpillar D9]] [[armored bulldozer]] is used for a variety of combat engineering tasks, including opening routes, demolishing structures, digging antivehicular ditches, and constructing vehicle fighting positions.]]

=== Assault ===
* Opening routes during an assault
* Demolishing enemy structures (using [[bulldozer]]s or explosive charges).

=== Defense structures ===
Building structures which enable one's own [[soldiers]] to survive on the battlefield. Examples include trenches, bunkers, shelters, and armored vehicle fighting positions.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

Defensive [[fortification]]s are designed to prevent intrusion into the inner works by [[infantry]]. For minor defensive locations, these may only consist of simple walls and ditches. The design principle is to slow down the advance of attackers to where they can be destroyed by defenders from sheltered positions. Most large fortifications are not a single structure but rather a concentric series of fortifications of increasing strength.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}
* Building [[fortification]]s
* Building [[outpost (military)|outpost]]s
* Building fences
* Defense against [[WMD weapon]] threats