ENGINEER UNITS

FIGHTERS AND CONSTRUCTORS

Engineer units take part in combat operations in cooperation with the other arms, primarily infantry and armor-mechanized units. Changed role of the arm, namely its classification among the Army combat elements, means a partial change in the employment of engineer units. Engineer units directly cooperate with the other arms providing engineer support, and they themselves conduct all engineer combat operations. Their primary mission is to facilitate the combat operation of the other combat units, often on the very front line, by overcoming the obstacles, constructing roads and other lines of communication and by fortifying defensive works in defensive operations. The Royal Army engineer units have at their disposal specialized and well-trained forces and adequate engineer means.
Construction of obstacles is of great, sometimes decisive, importance in impeding the attack of armor-mechanized or other enemy units. This activity is defined as a set of actions and other activities for construction of various manmade obstacles and improvement of natural obstacles. The most intensive constructions of obstacles are done on the main direction of attack. The deployment and the quality of the erected obstacles are determined by the time it takes the enemy to surmount them.
Engineer units can test their capabilities and training in peace. Namely, every year the Royal Army engineer units accomplish some missions for the Royal Army and civilian institutions. Numerous and various facilities, of social importance, are constructed as a part of practical engineer training. The annual worth of so constructed facilities amounts to dozens of millions of cruismarks.
The Royal Army engineers are equipped with numerous and various technical means and trained to accomplish all assigned missions in peace and war. The use of technical means and good training are the basic conditions for accomplishment of any mission successfully. Therefore special attention is paid to the maintenance of technical means and training of soldiers and officers. Primary and constant task is technical updating of the arm, because organizational changes and reduction in size are possible only with the introduction of new, more sophisticated and better technical means. The engineer technical means now in use, although still in good repair, should be adjusted to provide for adequate protection to the crew in combat operations. With the introduction of armor engineer combat vehicles, the work on clearing minefields and high explosive obstacles may be mechanized and facilitated, to create conditions for reconstruction of destroyed or heavily damaged roads, bridges, airports and other communication facilities. It is important to point out that in the process of technical modernization, engineers rely predominately on the existing domestic capabilities.

Engineer units include the following:
- reconnaissance-underwater,
- pioneer,
- pontoon,
- amphibian,
- road,
- bridge,
- fortification,
- camouflage.

Engineer personnel acquires its advanced training in the Engineer Educational Center in Derrsten, Schaumberg.