The US M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle is buiilt on the M60A1 tank and entered service in 1965. The 105mm main gun was replaced with the M135 165mm short-barrelled demolition gun, a licence built version of the 165 mm L9A1 used on the British Centurion AVRE. It fired (and stored 30 rounds) of HEP “High Explosive Plastic” AKA HESH. It was effective up to a distance of 925m and had a coaxial M73 7.62mm (2000 rounds stored) MG with an M85 .50 cal MG mounted on the commanders cupola (600 rounds stored).

It had a front mounted, hydraulically operated dozer blade which could be replaced with an anti-mine plough which could clear a path of 180 inches wide. An “A” shaped boom was attached to the sides of the turret and was equipped with a winch.

291 of the vehicle were manufactured and tasked with the reduction of roadblocks and obstacles, filling craters/anti-armour ditches, limited construction of combat trails, construction of obstacles, and clearing of rubble and debris.

The CEV was issued two per Engineer Company in the Heavy Division, two per Engineer Company in Corps (Mechanized), three per Engineer Company in Armour/Infantry Separate Brigades and three per Engineer Company in the Armoured Cavalry Regiment. It saw service in the Vietnam War in 1965 and was also used in the Gulf War. But as of 2000 the vehicle was withdrawn from US service as it was unable to keep up with the Abrams MBT.