Armies may retain a few specialist engineering vehicles in peacetime to preserve expertise. Acquiring them in numbers suggests planners expect to encounter minefields, barriers, and other defended obstacles. Their unusual appearance also makes them priority targets because enemy gunners recognize their importance. Changes in engineering and armored formations can therefore indicate serious preparations for combat.
Notable Point · 1:35:09-1:36:39
Specialist engineer vehicles reveal serious preparations for war
A sudden expansion of obstacle-clearing and mine-clearing vehicles can signal that an army expects real combat rather than merely preserving a specialist skill.