Armor plough converted the Abrams into a combat engineering vehicle. This attachment rapidly cleared Iraqi minefields during the 100-hour coalition blitzkrieg in 1991. Blitzkrieg is a German word for Lightning Warfare, coined during WW2 to describe coordinated assaults by armor, mechanized infantry, and air power onto a local enemy point. Many German words have blended into the American-English vernacular, such as Blitz (lightning), Schlep (transport), and ever favorite Fahrvergnugen (joy of driving). Blitzkrieg - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitzkrieg

Plough burrows a few feet beneath the ground, scups out enemy mines, and pushes it aside. Two long skids stabilized outer spades and guided the driver. If the anti-armor mines are booby-trapped with anti-personnel mines, the latter mines would explode harmlessly against the armor spades. Anti-personnel Mines - science.howstuffworks.com/landmine2.htm

Driver, sitting in the central - isolated - reclined ergonomic position, steer the tank via motorcycle handlebars. Remaining crew members of commander, gunner, loader located in the Turret Basket (interior turret compartment).

Another mine clearing attachment are Mine Clearing Rollers, which are giant explosive-resisted steel wheels, this technology can trace its origins back to WW2. Mine Clearing Roller System - www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/mcrs.htm

Rollover : Close-up of armor plough - skids - spades. Spades modeled in closed position. When engaged for action, top portion would fan out into a curvature. Nestled underneath the main gun is the driver's station with three observation periscopes, central scope has image hardware for night vision operations, providing a 120-degree field of vision.

During the 8-year Iran-Iraq War, Iraqis purchased stockpiles of Russian and Chinese anti-tank mines. The weapons are triggered by heavy weight pressure. To prevent enemy combat engineers from removing these mines, anti-personnel mines were interspersed among these tank mines. Personnel mines were triggered by tripwire, vibration, or movement of mine unit. As one US Marine instructor stated colloquially "Step on one of these, and it will definitely ruin your day". Iran-Iraq War - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_iraq_war

Tank mines target the soft underbelly of an armored vehicles. Depending on its explosive yield, it usually blow off tracks or road wheels on tanks, for armor personnel carriers it may penetrate the cabin resulting in serious crew injuries or fatalities.