General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) will deliver the initial batch of the Improved Ribbon Bridge (IRB) to Sweden in November.
The IRB will undergo internal trials in winter conditions with the Swedish Army to prove interoperability with in-service floating bridge assets, such as the Floating Support Bridge, transport trucks, and bridge erections boats. IRB is already in service with the US Army, the US Marine Corps, and the German Army.
GDELS recently signed a contract with the Australian Department of Defence for the IRB system. With these in-service customers, the IRB is one of the leading Western mobile military floating bridge systems.
The combat-proven IRB system provides a bridging capability for payloads up to MLC 80 for tracked vehicles and MLC 96 for wheeled vehicles. Fully inter-operable with GDELS’ Floating Support Bridge (FSB) and M3 amphibious ferry system, the IRB is the only wet-bridge asset that is available in larger numbers within NATO coalition forces.
Due to the FSB’s modular coupling devices, it can be operated as a multi-bay ferry or as a floating bridge to secure land manoeuverability of heavy mechanised forces over all types of rivers, and wet gap obstacles.