The Australian Army has taken delivery of three new bridge erection boats (BEBs) built by local company Birdon.
The vessels belong to a series developed by Birdon for operators including the US Army National Guard, the Royal Netherlands Army, and the Swedish Armed Forces.
Birdon said the latest vessels incorporate enhancements arising from years of operational feedback and design evolution, reflecting lessons learned from supporting military bridging operations across a range of environments and user requirements.
"The original Australian Army program delivered much more than a fleet of vessels," said Birdon Chief Executive Officer Jamie Bruce. "It enabled the development of a specialist capability that has since been exported internationally, expanded Birdon's global footprint and strengthened our ability to support defence customers across allied nations.
In addition to designing and constructing the original BEB fleet, Birdon will continue to provide in-service support to the Australian Army's bridge erection vessel capability, including maintenance, capability upgrades, obsolescence management, and spares provisioning.
Birdon said this combination of design, manufacturing and through-life support experience will provide the company with a unique understanding of the operational and sustainment requirements associated with military bridging capability.
The primary mission of the seven-metre BEBs is to provide tactical float bridging and rafting operations worldwide. Each BEB is designed, built, and equipped to provide propulsion and manoeuvrable thrust to support floating bridges often made necessary when existing bridge crossings have been destroyed in conflict or by natural disasters.
The craft can also operate as patrol vessels in combat bridging operations and are transportable by road, rail and air. They are also used for reconnaissance, search and rescue, diving missions, transportation of troops, towing, and other types of natural disaster relief activities.