The Indian Army has inducted the first production lot of 12 Short Span Bridging Systems (SSBSs)-10 m, during a ceremony held at Cariappa Parade Ground, Delhi Cantonment, New Delhi.
The system was designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO’s) premier engineering laboratory, Research & Development Establishment (Engrs) Pune in association with M/s L&T Ltd.
The SSBS-10 m plays a crucial role of bridging the gaps up to 9.5 m as a single span, providing a 4 m wide, fully decked roadway for faster movement of troops. The deployed bridge has MLC 70 load classification.
The 12 bridges are part of 102 SSBS-10 m to be delivered by M/s L&T Ltd.
The SSBS project involved the development of two prototypes of 5 m SSBS on Tatra 6×6 chassis and two prototypes of 10 m SSBS on Tatra 8×8 re-engineered chassis.
Both the systems have undergone rigorous Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA), MET and user trials. After successful completion of all the trials, the systems were recommended for induction into the services.
This bridging system is compatible with Sarvatra Bridging System (75 m), where the last span requires covering gaps less than 9.5 m.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO, the Indian Army, and the Industry on the successful development and induction of the system: “This induction will give a boost to the fast-growing Indian defence industrial ecosystem and help the industry to contribute towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.”
