Military Crossing & Bridging Equipment

Crossing & Bridging Equipment manufacturers and suppliers of military bridges including amphibious and rapid bridging systems.
Suppliers Products Articles Overview
Overview Military Crossing & Bridging Equipment
By Technology Editor Last updated: February 18th, 2022

Military Bridging Systems

Military crossing and bridging systems are used to provide a way for infantry and vehicles to cross large gaps such as ditches, as well as bodies of water that are too deep or fast-flowing to ford. They may also be deployed as an alternative to existing bridges in the operational area that are unable to support the weight of heavy armor and other large vehicles. Bridging equipment may be airdropped by airplane or helicopter, or mounted on a vehicle.

Military bridges can be classified into several different types according to their role:

  • Close support bridges (CSBs) are used in combat zones where direct enemy fire is expected. Bridging systems that deploy these bridges must do so rapidly, and are typically armored.
  • General support bridges (GSBs) are used for less urgent operations where threats are not so imminent, and so systems deploying these are able to take more time. GSBs may encompass more complex bridge designs such as multispan structures.
  • Line of communication bridges (LOC) are used along supply and logistic routes to provide more persistent bringing and crossing capabilities. These military bridges may be designed to withstand more intensive levels of traffic for longer timespans.
Dry Support Bridge Vehicle by WFEL

Dry Support Bridge Vehicle by WFEL

Rapid & Amphibious Bridging Equipment

Vehicle-mounted military bridging systems may be specially-designed platforms, or retrofitted to a vehicle such as a tank or 4×4 platform. Bridging systems based on a tank chassis have the advantage of a solid hull that will be more resilient against threats such as IEDs (improvised explosive devices), landmines and enemy fire. Some bridging vehicles may be amphibious, allowing them to be driven into a body of water and provide convenient crossing over the mounted bridge for troops and other vehicles.

In addition to deploying a fixed bridge structure, vehicles may also be used to drop fascines, which are bundles of pipes made from lightweight but strong materials that can withstand being driven over by heavy armor vehicles. These fascines are used to fill ditches and other obstructions in order to provide a usable crossing.

 

Related Articles
WFEL to Showcase Rapidly Deployable Military Bridging System at IDEX 2023 WFEL's DSB Dry Support Bridge provides temporary infrastructure and can be used both in combat situations and natural disasters to enhance an Army’s capability to maneuver across complex physical terrain February 16, 2023
Irish Defence Forces Orders Double Storey Bridging Systems WFEL’s 31m double storey Medium Girder Bridging system (MGB) can be used for military operations and in Disaster Relief and Emergency scenarios September 7, 2022
Latvia to Receive M3 Amphibious Bridge and Ferry System The platform and ferry system from General Dynamics European Land Systems can carry all NATO vehicles and can build a 100m floating bridge in less than 10 minutes October 19, 2021
New Amphibious Bridge and Ferry System for Republic of Korea General Dynamics European Land Systems and Hanwha Defense Corporation will deliver 110 M3 amphibious bridging vehicles to the Republic of Korea Army to increase maneuverability on land and across water October 7, 2021
New Rapidly Deployable Bridging System for Military and Disaster Relief The Boxer bridge-layer collaboration from WFEL and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann can deploy two bridge types: one spanning 14 meters to carry 80 tons, and a 22 meter version certified for 50 tons August 27, 2021
New Short Span Bridging System for Indian Army The 10 m Short Span Bridging System (SSBS-10 m) plays a crucial role of bridging gaps up to 9.5 m as a single span, providing a 4 m wide, fully decked roadway for faster movement of troops July 8, 2021
Military Bridges Delivered to British Army Ahead of Schedule The bridges from WFEL can be configured in various different ways, with the first configuration allowing Royal Engineers to build a 31m Double Storey and a five-bay Single Storey bridge for operational and emergency disaster relief scenarios July 1, 2021
New Mobile Military Bridges for Philippine Army WFEL will supply its Dry Support Bridge (DSB) systems that have a 120 tonnes Military Load Classification and can be deployed in around 90 minutes to provide temporary infrastructure for use in humanitarian and military scenarios June 23, 2021
WFEL Global Leader in Rapidly-Deployable Tactical Military Bridging Systems
Visit Supplier Visit Website View Profile Contact
+ Showcase your capabilities If you design, build or supply Crossing & Bridging Equipment, create a profile to showcase your capabilities on this page.
Gold Partners
+ Showcase your capabilities If you design, build or supply Crossing & Bridging Equipment, create a profile to showcase your capabilities on this page.