Thermite Toaster

The electric toaster is an important component of civilization and for the domestic environment, completely adequate. However, there are situations where a fully equipped kitchen might not be available. For example, it has long been established that the British military cannot function without constant access to tea. To this end, main battle tanks, APCs etc. are equipped with boiling vessels..<link> This means that the Challenger II may be considered an armoured forward-operating field-deployable kettle. What if this capability could be expanded to the provision of toast under fire? It would be a huge force-multiplier and potentially render the armoured and infantry units deployable for months on end.

Imagine the scene, 8 infantry and an FV432 APC are providing anti-tank support but somewhat pinned down. They've been there 45 minutes, and 12 cups of tea can only suppress a squaddies hunger for so long, so, on the radio, a FDPTU is ordered up from the rear.

In rush two extra squaddies carrying the FDPTU between them, rushing in like a mortar team. The unit is in a similar form factor to something like a 30mm canon ammo crate. In their spare hands, a case of thermite cartridges and two loaves of thick white sliced bread*. They slam it down, pop the lid and quickly add in ~40 bread slices to the predetermined slots. In-between, we have the thermite. These are disposable metal plates coated in a stabilized thermite with a magnesium ignitor. The top is closed and the unit fired by magnesium strips protruding through the lid. The thermite cartridges between the bread slices burns top to bottom in about 2 seconds. Quick as a flash, the team open up the lid, pass off the slices to the buttering operative, distribute to the squaddies and leave. The APC & infantry can now continue fighting for at least an hour & 12 more cups of tea before further sustenance is required.

I think 8th would have liked this one.

*Warburton's the ideal candidate.