The tank that thinks it's a Swiss army knife

Capable of clearing mines, digging trenches and causing wanton destruction in its wake, the British Army's new battle tank looks like the stuff of Hollywood action films.

Designed by British defense and aerospace firm BAE Systems, the aptly named Terrier has been designed to meet the challenges of modern warfare on and off the battlefield.

In fact, the tank is so versatile it has been described as the 'Swiss Army Knife' of combat vehicles.

Out on the battlefield, it can probe for suspected buried explosive devices and split solid concrete with a rock hammer that stretches more than 26ft (8 metres) away from its body using a telescopic arm.

In addition to being manned, for situations deemed too-dangerous for a crew, the 32-tonne machine can be operated by remote control from up to a kilometre away.

The versatile military vehicle was originally launched in 2013 as part of a £360m ($520m) project with the UK government's Ministry of Defence, to aid the British Army in carrying out tasks such as digging, drilling, heavy lifting and path clearing.

But continued improvements to the system mean that the Terrier is now able to wade through deep waters and withstand waves of up to 6.5ft (2 metres), and clear mines on the move, meaning it can operate in more hostile environments than ever before.

his, said the manufacturers, could be key in coastal areas or in helping to reach people in disaster hit areas.

Other additions include a ripper for tearing up roads or runways, preventing their use by enemy combatants, as well as an earth augur that drills holes for use in combat engineering.

Rory Breen, a sales manager for BAE Systems, said: 'The greater wading depth and surge protection will make Terrier even better suited for use in coastal or low lying areas, where it can play an important role in disaster relief as well as combat situations.

He added: 'Along with the new telescopic arm and other attachments, Terrier remains the most technologically advanced and flexible combat engineer vehicle in the world. 

'Due to the modular nature of the vehicle, it could also be quickly adapted for a range of other situations, such as clearing paths through jungle or thick foliage.'

The vehicle can hit speeds of more than 45mph (70km/h) and already has complete remote control from up to 1km (0.62 miles) away, along with a variety of lifting, grabbing and moving capabilities.

Like the arm of a JCB digger, its front-loader system can lift weights of up to five tonnes and can shift 300 tonnes of earth an hour.

In regions littered with mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), it has a few nifty tricks up its mechanical sleeve to clear a path.

Firstly, its Python rocket is a minefield breaching system which shoots a 200 metre hose of explosives from the front of the vehicle, like a James Bond style grappling hook. 

Once deployed and detonated, the system can provide a path clear of any buried explosives.

In addition, it has a lethal looking plough which pushes through the earth ahead of the vehicle to clear mines, while travelling at a speed of over 9mph (15km/h).