Bridge Launch Technology for Ultra Lightweight Combat Vehicles

Materials Sciences Corporation (MSC) propose the development of a technology which will enable bridges to be launched and retrieved from lightweight and ultra-lightweight vehicles, thus providing them with enhanced mobility and the means to cross over gaps encountered during their missions. MSC will conduct feasibility studies, and demonstrate the applicability of the proposed bridge placement and retrieval system concept via physics-based modeling and simulation. When the system is fully operational the bridge deployment and recovery cycle times be less than 5 minutes by day and 10 minutes by night, as well as meeting requirements set out in the Trilateral Design and Test Code for Military Bridging and Gap-Crossing Equipment. The objective of Phase I effort of this work is to refine the bridge deployment and recovery mechanism design concepts, incorporating composite materials to reduce weight, and target durability and maintainability for improvements.