New launch vehicles for Rapidly-Deployable Mobile Bridging at Eurosatory 2018.

Following the recent appointment of WFEL’s new Managing Director, Ian Anderton, formerly of BAE Systems, the tactical military bridge manufacturer is showcasing its DSB Dry Support Bridge and MGB Medium Girder Bridge in the UK Pavilion at Eurosatory 2018 (booth #DC 821 in hall 5).

 DSB-launching vehicle configured on a fully armoured Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicle 10x10 chassis (Picture source : WFEL)

WFEL’s DSB, a new-generation tactical military bridging system, can get traffic and supplies moving over a 46m gap in less than 90 minutes using just eight soldiers and a single launch vehicle: crucial in rapidly-escalating combat, homeland defence or disaster relief scenarios - when every second counts.

The DSB is now available on the latest variant of launch vehicle – a fully-armoured Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicle (RMMV) 45m 10x10 chassis.

Already held in inventory by the US, Australian, Turkish and Swiss Armed Forces, DSB is one of the longest non-reinforced bridges of its class and is rated to MLC 120. Using an innovative launching mechanism, the system is versatile and can be adapted to fit to a variety of host vehicles commonly used by armed forces.

The MGB - a classic example of high quality precision engineering that has stood the test of time - first entered service more than 30 years ago, and has played a major role in both military and disaster relief operations, being used by over 40 armed forces worldwide. WFEL is currently supplying the Australian Defence Force with a number of double-storey, link-reinforced MGB bridge sets which can span up to 49m; these bridges will be supplemented by additional equipment which will allow bridges of up to 76m to be constructed, using WFEL’s portable pier sets.

WFEL’s bridges provide temporary infrastructure and have the potential to be used both in combat situations and in the event of natural disasters. WFEL, which traces its roots as a defence engineering business way back to 1915, has supplied over 600 tactical military bridge systems to 42 armed forces across the world for over four decades, including North and Latin America, Africa, Australasia, Europe and the Far East.

“Our bridges can be built in less than one hour, either by hand for the Medium Girder Bridge or via a semi-automatic process for the Dry Support Bridge,” the company states. “We have a century of engineering excellence and innovation — ranging from concept design to full scale production of rapidly-deployable, modern bridging systems for use in military and disaster relief scenarios.”

WFEL also provides value-added inspection, repair and maintenance, spares and training services, wherever it’s needed around the world