Developed as an armored engineer support vehicle, the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle (CEV) was used in a variety of roles, such as clearing, leveling sites, digging defensive positions, and even vehicle recovery. The M728 CEV is based on a modified Patton tank chassis, with some based on the M60A2 variant that were withdrawn from service. It is equipped with a hydraulically operated bulldozer blade, a winch and retractable A-frame crane mounted on the turret for lifting, carrying and winching operations. Production commenced in 1965 and spanned seven years, producing a total of 312 vehicles. The M728 CEV saw action in Vietnam and was even deployed during the Gulf War. It was withdrawn from US Army service by the year 2000.