History Main / DrillTank

* Amongst the [[TransformersGeneration1 G1 Transformers]], one of the Technobots was one of these, named [[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/Nosecone/nosecone.htm Nosecone.]].

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' has whole mecha-mole brigades, on things like this [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090121 Deep 6 Model]]. And other "[[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120822 submersibles de terre]]", like subterranean mecha-narwhals -- "''[[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120824 ordinary]]''" and not.

* The Mole in Series/{{Thunderbirds}} is one of these.

* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' has a HumongousMecha example with the [[http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/msv/ems-05.htm Agg]], a Zeon machine which was designed to tunnel into TheFederation's ElaborateUndergroundBase headquarters. The design never actually appeared in the ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' anime[[note]]A RetCon established that Char Aznable found a secret entrance that rendered the Agg unnecessary[[/note]] but has popped up in later video games.

* Used for transportation in ''At the Earth's Core''.

* The drilling machine in ''At the Earth's Core'' is the best special effect in the film. The dinosaurs are very much of the B-movie variety, but the drilling machine looks awesome.

* The [[http://www.hawkwargames.com/products/model-109-breaching-drill Resistance Model 109 Breaching Drill]] on ''Dropzone Commander'' (although it's more of a drill transport).

* One of these was used in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' to plow though a large crowd of hippies.

* Heck, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subterrene Subterrenes]] could ''theoretically'' drill tunnels and eliminate waste rock AND reinforce the resulting tunnels fast enough to act as '''[[FastTunnelling transportation]]'''. However, [[SovietSuperscience only the Russians]] have ever been crazy enough to actually build a "Battle Mole", as the primary component was a '''''nuclear reactor'''''. Which broke down and killed the crew. ConspiracyTheories abound, however.

* ''WesternAnimation/BillyDilleysSuperSubterranianSummer'' Features "The Cheeserator" It fits the description to a tee and even plays an integral part in getting the trio trapped at the center of the Earth.

** One of Hurricane Polymar's supers in ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'' has him ''morphing'' into a ridiculously fast drill tank.

* Mini-boss drill tanks are used by the evil Gedow in ViewtifulJoe 2.

** Nosecone, though [[TransformersVictory Drillhorn of the Breastforce]] ([[GratuitousEnglish seriously]]) fits the 'unimaginative name' bill.

* The Chrome Crusher from Franchise/{{LEGO}}'s Franchise/RockRaiders theme, and the Thunder Driller from Toys/LEGOPowerMiners.

** This is more or less a ''Franchise/BraveSeries'' tradition, all the way back with ''Anime/BraveExkaiser'' and Drill Max.

[[folder:Film]]

* [[EvilGenius Shockwave]] from [[Film/{{Transformers}} ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'']] actually rides in a large Cybertronian drill tank [[SandWorm worm]].
* WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles: The Underminer appears riding one of these.

* Microtron, a caterpillar-tracked robot from the [[Franchise/{{Micronauts}} Micronauts/Microman]] toy-line was one of these, with a rotating drill-bit protruding from his groin area. With Micronaut "interchangeability", it could be reconfigured to more closely resemble a DrillTank, with the drill where the head should be and large wheels instead of arms.

* In WesternAnimation/TotallySpies in "Queen for a Day" the spies drive one called a R.A.T.V.A.T.
* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'': In "Richter", Jumba modifies the dune buggy to be one of these. Lilo and Stitch uses it to re-enter the cave that [[MonsterOfTheWeek the episode's experiment]] went into and chase after him.

* In 1938, the British, anticipating that World War Two would be an ''exact'' re-run of UsefulNotes/WW1, designed and built a group of mammoth tanks, each weighing 185 tons, built for one purpose and one purpose only - digging trenches, in order to get that back-breaking labour safely mechanised. More cynical officers, whose reading of German strategy had convinced them that trench-building was futile, named these machines the ''TOG'' tanks, as "The Old Gang" of Colonel Blimps had ordered them built at massive cost. One was lost in France, and labelled useless scrap metal by its German captors; another two were used to build trenches and tank-traps around London in the event of German invasion.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_boring_machine Tunnel-boring machines]].
** And by extension, the tunnel driller in ''RedFaction''. And yes, the drills here actually carve through stone.

* Rod Drill in ''MachineRobo''.
** Also, Drill Robo in ''MachineRobo Rescue''.

* In 1938, the British, anticipating that World War Two would be an ''exact'' re-run of UsefulNotes/WW1, designed and built a group of mammoth tanks, each weighing 185 tons, built for one purpose and one purpose only - digging trenches, in order to get that back-breaking labour safely mechanised. More cynical officers, whose reading of German strategy had convinced them that trench-building was futile, named these machines the ''TOG'' tanks, as "The Old Gang" of Colonel Blimps had ordered them built at massive cost. One was lost in France, and labelled useless scrap metal by its German captors; another two were used to build trenches and tank-traps around London in the event of German invasion.\\
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During the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, both sides reactivated the trench-digger idea in smaller and mechanically less complex form, based on tanks then in production: [[http://www.bmz.ru/earth/mdk2meng.htm Soviet MDK-2M]] and [[http://militarytechnics.com/vehicles/btm-fast-entrenching/ BTM-3]] on one side and [[http://www.armyrecognition.com/europe/Allemagne/vehicules_lourds/kodiak_engineer_vehicle_leopard_2/Kodiak_Leopard_2_engineer_armoured_vehicle_001.jpg Leopard tank based vehicles]] on the other side. They still work on ground surface like excavators, though.

* "WesternAnimation/FlashGordon:'' Ming's Mecho-Mole, later hijacked by Prince Barin.

** [=GoZyu=] Drill from ''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'', the default form of [[SixthRanger GokaiSilver's]] personal mecha [=GoZyuJin=]. Technically speaking, it's actually a Drill Jet[[note]]Since it represents the true power of the ''Series/MiraiSentaiTimeranger'', it's based off of their own Time Jets[[/note]], but in practice it hovers low to the ground and generally acts like a Drill Tank (presumably because having it fly in every battle would make production costs skyrocket).

The concept is simple, really. A tracked vehicle with a great big [[ThisIsADrill drill]] bolted onto the front. What it is varies. Theoretically, this may be intended as a mining and/or tunneling vehicle, and indeed, many of them do use them to tunnel beneath the earth. Others use them to break through walls and other barriers. Quite a few of them are used directly against enemies. There is an occasional variant in the form of a Drill ''Jet'', which is exactly what it sounds like.

* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' has a HumongousMecha example with the [[http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/msv/ems-05.htm Agg]], a Zeon machine which was designed to tunnel into TheFederation's ElaborateUndergroundBase headquarters. The design never actually appeared in the ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' anime[[note]]A RetCon established that Char Aznable found a secret entrance that rendered the Agg unnecessarry[[/note]] but has popped up in later video games.

* The Magma Swimmer employed in episode 27 of ''KeroroGunsou''.