The British Army has issued a $367 million contract to Vickers for 33 Titan bridge-laying tanks and 33 Trojan combat engineer tanks. These will be new vehicles built on Challenger-2 chassis, and will replace older vehicles built on Chieftain chassis. Production will begin in 2003 with the vehicles entering service in 2005. The British Army wants 51 of each vehicle type, and hopes to get the funding to buy the remaining 18 vehicles of each type. Both Titan and Trojan are designed to operate with their crews entirely protected by armor. The Titan will carry the existing 26-meter and 13.5 meter bridges. Trojan has a scoop shovel on an arm so that it can dismantle enemy obstacles. Both types can mount a mine plow and lane-marking systems.--Stephen V Cole