Loader (equipment) - Armored Wheel Loaders

Armored Wheel Loaders

The Israeli Combat Engineering Corps use armored Caterpillar 966 wheel loader for construction and combat engineering missions in hostile territories such as the West Bank. They are often seen building or removing road blocks, building bases and fortifications and starting in 2005, demolishing small houses. The IDF added armor plating for the loader, protecting it against rocks, stones, molotov cocktails, and light gunfire.

Rio de Janeiro's police elite squad BOPE have recently acquired one wheel loader of military purposes to open routes and make way for the police in Rio de Janeiro's slums, which are controlled, and blocked, by drugdealers. It is nicknamed "The Skulls' Transformer", being a reference to how they call themselves -- "The Skulls".

Several if not most countries have similar equipment. The Dutch armed forces for instance use models like the Werklust WG18Edef, which weights 15 tons, 2 more than the corresponding unarmored civilian model. On top of that there were extra armor modules covering most of the window surface with steel and bringing extra protection. These were not popular with the crew however due to low visibility.