Country of Origin: United States

Notes: This vehicle is similar to the Canadian M-113 ESEV, but based on the larger MTVL chassis. The CESV's ramp may be used as a working platform, and may hold 1.1 tons. It has the same hydraulic auger that may dig in earth, asphalt, and frozen ground to a depth of 3.048 meters and 203mm wide; hydraulic power tools (a chainsaw, jack hammer, impact wrench), a welding set, and an engineer demo chest. The CESV is also equipped with a light turret. As of 2003, only a single demonstrator vehicle has been built.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This vehicle was taken into service by the US Army in late 1996 as the M-113A4 Sapper Vehicle.

Country of Origin: United States

Notes: The FRS-H is based on the chassis of the M-1074 PLS vehicle (a heavy, 10x10 truck). The chassis is lightly armored, and has been modified to accept a work module, tools storage, a crane, and a load area. The crane has a capacity of 7.5 tons -- large enough to lift any major component in the US Army except M-1 series turrets. The vehicle has a minimum of two NATO slave receptacles and can thus jump a minimum of two NATO-compatible vehicles simultaneously. The FRS-H also has a 10kW generator designed to run more quietly than a standard 10kW generator; this can be used to run power tools, the crane, and jump vehicles all at once. The FRS-H typically carries welding and cutting gear, two heavy jacks, and electronic diagnostic gear and computers. The work module has a large roof hatch so that large components can be lowered inside; the cab has a door on each side, and a hatch on the roof with a heavy machinegun mount. This vehicle is not expected to be in service before 2008, if ever.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This vehicle began production shortly before the November Nuclear strikes. Most of them were retained in the Continental US.

Country or Origin: United States

Notes: This vehicle does not exist in real life; it is a concept put forward in an article in Armor magazine as a vehicle type that (according to the author) is badly needed in the US Army.  As far as I know, the author's idea was ignored.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The M-1 AEV was built to fulfill the need for a modernized assault engineer vehicle. The M-113 series could not keep up with the faster Bradley and Abrams. The Bradley did not have the room for a full engineer squad and all their equipment. The Bradley also lacked the armor protection necessary to breach obstacles. The solution was to take the M-1 Abrams chassis and modify it to fulfill the need.

The vehicle consists of an M-1 Abrams chassis with a small one-man turret mounting a 25mm ChainGun (as on the M-2 Bradley). The turret also has a hard point that is usually fitted with a TOW launcher, though it is sometimes fitted with a Hydra-70 pod (similar to those on attack helicopters). The TOW launcher is reloaded from a hatch directly behind the turret (similar to the Bradley). There are two hatches on the roof of the passenger compartment, and a clamshell door on the left side of the hull to allow the passengers to dismount without exposing themselves to enemy fire. There are large lockers on the exterior of the vehicle on each rear side for bulky equipment.

This vehicle was produced in small numbers directly before the outbreak of the Twilight War, and numbers of this vehicle were never high.

Country of Origin: United States

Notes: The M-5 is a recovery vehicle based on the chassis of the first-generation M-1 main battle tank, and retains 85% parts commonality with the M-1A1 (and nearly 100% with the M-1). The turret of the M-1 is replaced with an armored superstructure. To the left of this superstructure is a crane with a capacity of 35 tons and a traverse of 270 degrees. On the front is a dozer blade, and behind that is a winch with a capacity of 45 tons, or 90 tons with block and tackle. The winch has 117 meters of usable cable. An auxiliary winch is provided with a capacity of 2.2 tons and 200 meters of cable. The vehicle has a full set of tools, including basic, wheeled vehicle, tracked vehicle, small arms, heavy ordinance, and excavating tools. An air compressor, a welding and cutting set, a fuel pump, two tow bars, and several lengths of cable, rope, and chains are also provided. The M-5 has an APU to power the equipment; this is an 8.1kW diesel generator. Space is provided for 4 passengers; this is normally for the crew of the tank the M-5 is recovering. The M-5 was not chosen by the US for its recovery needs, but General Dynamics is aggressively marketing it overseas.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This vehicle was taken into US service in late 1996, but only about 150 were ever built.

Merc 2000 Notes: This vehicle entered US service in 2006.

Country of Origin: Spain

Notes: This is a Spanish combat engineer vehicle based on the M-60A1 tank, also tested by Greece and by Germany and Turkey. The turret of the M-60A1 is replaced by an armored superstructure, beside which is placed a large crane. The superstructure is topped with the M-60A1’s machinegun cupola, and retains the M-2HB. The crane is normally equipped with a digging bucket, and has a capacity of 10 tons. A hydraulic hammer, a shearing head, a grapple, or a smaller and more precise digging bucket can replace the head. The large bucket has a digging depth of 2.7 meters, and the arm has a reach of 7.2 meters. The front of the vehicle has a dozer blade (which may be replaced by a mine plow), and is 900 millimeters high and 3.7 meters wide. There is also a main winch in the front of the vehicle with a pulling strength of 30 tons and 90 meters of cable. The pulling strength can be increased to 60 tons by use of block and tackle. The M-60 VZ has an auxiliary generator of 5kW power. The standard tools for a combat engineer vehicle are carried: basic tools, excavating tools, power tools, a welding and cutting set, and an air compressor. The M-60 VZ never passed the prototype stage.

Twilight 2000 Notes: These vehicles were used in large numbers by the Turks, who used them primarily for fortification and road building. The Spaniards also used them is good numbers, but the Germans never used more than the 5 prototypes they ordered for testing.

Country of Origin: United States

Notes: This is a limited production mechanized bridging vehicle based on the chassis of the M-1 main battle tank, also known as the HAB (Heavy Assault Bridge). It uses a bridge similar to that on the German Biber, but able to hold 70 tons with a length of 26 meters, and allowing a gap of 24 meters to be crossed. This bridge takes 5 minutes to deploy and 10 minutes to recover, and the crew does not need to exit the vehicle or even open the hatches to do this. The bridge weighs 10 tons. The M-104 has an APU to power the bridgelaying mechanism so the engine does not have to be running while the deployment is taking place; this is a 12kW generator.

The Wolverine was cancelled in 2000.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This vehicle was approved for production in 1996.

Merc 2000 Notes: This vehicle was cancelled, reapproved, cancelled, and finally reapproved in 2007.

Country of Origin: United States

Notes: This vehicle does not exist in real life; however, it is a real concept put forward in the late 1990s to increase the capabilities of the modified M-113s currently employed by US Army combat engineers.  It was never more than a drawing-board concept, however.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This was a limited-production combat engineer vehicle produced for US, Belgian, and Canadian forces during the Twilight War. Canadian ESVs were primarily deployed to Europe (about 75% of them, with the remainder kept at home); most US ESVs were deployed to the Middle East, with about 20% used in Korea, and another 20% in Europe. The vehicle consists of a base M-113A3 chassis topped with a small turret mounting an M-2HB heavy machinegun and a twin launcher for TOW missiles. A TOW missile with a HESH warhead was specifically designed for this vehicle and other combat engineers, for use as a demolition warhead; most of the TOW missiles carried by this vehicle have these HESH warheads. The M-2HB is used for defense or to detonate mines at a distance. An engineer’s chest and stowage boxes for plastic explosives, dynamite, or TNT completes the modifications.

Country of Origin: United States

Notes: Introduced by the US in the early 1990s, the Grizzly is designed to breach obstacles and minefields that normal CEVs cannot. The Grizzly is equipped with a huge dozer blade 4.6 meters wide that is able to dig one meter into the ground at a swipe and excavate 300 cubic meters per hour. The dozer blade is heavily armored and is immune to mine damage. Hull front hits are 50% likely to hit this blade, which has an armor value of 20. Two telescoping arms with buckets are able to reach 10 meters and can excavate 80 cubic meters per hour. The buckets are located on either side on the front hull, and can lift 6.3 tons. Two grapples can be shot 20 meters and can pull 2 tons each. A hydraulic hammer can deliver a 475kg psi blow. An auger can dig a hole 0.6x2.5m in one minute. A lift hook can lift 9 tons. The Grizzly has an integral 60Kw generator. There is a large crane that is able to lift 10 tons, and a winch able to pull 30 tons. The driver and engineer sit in tandem, slightly offset in the front hull. The weapons are in a remote-controlled cupola to the rear of the engineer’s hatch.

The Grizzly program was killed in early 2000.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The Grizzly was taken into service in 1997.

Country of Origin: Argentina

Notes: This is an Argentine recovery vehicle based on the VCTP armored personnel carrier chassis. In this role, the turret is removed, and in its place is a raised superstructure with a crane with 5 meter reach and capable of lifting 22 tons. The vehicle has a main winch with 100 meters of cable and capable of pulling 30 tons, and a secondary winch in the rear with a capacity of 10 tons. There is also a rear-mounted dozer blade to brace the vehicle during heavy lifting or winching operations. The VCRT is equipped with basic tools, tracked and wheeled vehicle tools, excavating tools, an air compressor, and a welding and cutting set, as well as a 5kW generator. This vehicle unfortunately fell victim to budget cuts before even a prototype could be produced.

Twilight 2000 Notes: There were perhaps 25 of these vehicles that were ever produced, making them some of the rarest military vehicles of the war.

Merc 2000 Story: These vehicles sold reasonably well worldwide, except to the Argentine military themselves.