US Army to acquire new bridge erection boats under $25m deal

The Birdon Group has been awarded a new US$25.8 million contract to deliver 28 bridge erection boats (BEBs) with armour kits and comprehensive support services to the US Army through 2027.

The vessels will be built at the company's facilities in Denver.

The contract award follows the recently announced partnership with Swedish engineering firm MMT to deliver BEBs, improved ribbon bridges (IRBs), and MMT's patented tactical bridge adaptor pallet systems as complete military bridging solutions.

Birdon designed the BEB for the US Army and has delivered multiple examples to the US Army and the Army National Guard to date, in addition to its international sales.

Birdon said the BAP-TT complements Birdon’s complete wet gap crossing solution, which already includes the BEB and the IRB from General Dynamics European Land Systems-Bridge Systems.

The primary mission of the 23- by 10-foot (seven- by three-metre) BEBs is to provide tactical float bridging and rafting operations worldwide.

Each BEB will be 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 boats 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.