The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration has awarded Birdon America a contract for the delivery of 15 bridge erection boats (BEBs).
Under the US$18.3 million agreement, Birdon will deliver six BEBs by December 31, 2026, and an additional nine BEBs will be handed over by December 31, 2027. All production activities will take place at Birdon’s US facilities.
The Swedish BEBs will be variants of the latest model currently in production by Birdon for the Royal Netherlands Army, with custom modifications ensuring the vessels meet in-country safety and legislation requirements.
Each Swedish BEB will feature a dual electric winch for faster coupling, increased operator efficiency, and safer operations, while a reinforced ice bow enables further extreme cold weather capability. A new quick launch system allows for rapid deployment, and high operational availability is achieved through reduced maintenance and downtime upgrades.
In its primary mission mode, the BEB will provide propulsion, thrust, and stabilisation to support worldwide tactical float bridging and rafting operations. It is specifically designed to provide high thrust and operate in high particulate matter environments including in fresh, brackish, and seawater.
All functions of the BEB can be performed by a two-person crew.
