New bridges ordered for British Army
The DSB can be deployed by eight personnel to span a 46m gap in under 90 minutes. (Photo: WFEL)
The UK MoD has awarded a contract to provide replacements for the Royal Engineers' General Support Bridge systems as part of project Tyro.
The British Army will replace its BR90 ABLE bridging systems with KNDS UK (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter) mobile bridges based on the company’s Dry Support Bridge (DSB) design and mounted on Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicle (RMMV) HX2 tactical trucks.
The deal, worth £150 million (US$191 million), will provide bridges with a range of 46m and able to carry the weight of the army’s future tank, the Challenger 3. It will be able to cross both wet and dry gaps.
The new capability will be interoperable with other NATO partners’ bridge systems, meaning that resources can be shared between nations during joint exercises and deployments.
The procurement has been part of as part of Project Tyro which will provide a capability improvement for the British Army, facilitating the mobility of future Armoured Brigade Combat Teams and equipment across gaps in the terrain.
WFEL, now part of KNDS, was left as the last bidder in mid-2023. A DSB set consists of a launcher vehicle, six flat-track loads of bridge components and one flat-track load of launch beams.
The DSB has been sold to a number of other countries including Australia (RMMV 10x10), the Philippines (RMMV 10x10), Switzerland (Iveco Trakker 10x8) and Turkey (HEMTT).
More from Land Warfare
-
![British Army defeats swarm with Thales radio frequency anti-drone system]()
British Army defeats swarm with Thales radio frequency anti-drone system
Developed by a Thales UK-led industry consortium, the demonstrator has been designed to explore the potential of radiofrequency weapons for the UK Armed Forces and is being trialled by the British Army.
-
![US approves $825 million sale of Stinger Block I missiles to Morocco]()
US approves $825 million sale of Stinger Block I missiles to Morocco
The 600-missiles will be used to expand the Moroccan armed forces’ short range air defence capabilities.
-
![Hanwha Aerospace to jointly produce guided missiles in Poland]()
Hanwha Aerospace to jointly produce guided missiles in Poland
The joint venture between Hanwha Aerospace and Poland’s WB Group will see them locally produce CGR80 missiles for the Homar-K multiple rocket launch system, with the first batch produced by 2028.
-
![BAE Systems takes another step towards restarting M777 howitzer production]()
BAE Systems takes another step towards restarting M777 howitzer production
The M777 155mm lightweight howitzer is in service with more than six countries and has been heavily used in Ukraine. The latest contract is part of an effort to restart the manufacture of M777 towed howitzers.
