WFEL wins Irish medium girder bridge contract
The Irish Defence Forces have selected UK company WFEL to supply its 31m double-storey Medium Girder Bridging (MGB) system.
The contract, announced on 7 September, will supply the configurable MGB with handrails, which will allow its deployment not only in military operations but also in disaster relief and emergency scenarios.
A full support and training package is included in the contract, and the Irish Defence Forces can expect delivery of their new bridging assets by the end of 2023.
‘Of particular importance to us is the lightweight nature of the MGB system, not only for reducing transportation weight but to enable the bridge components to be handled by our troops without the need for mechanical aids,’ Col Damian McEvoy, director of engineering for the Irish Defence Forces, said in a statement.
WFEL is already supplying 17 sets of its MGB to the UK MoD to meet British Army modular gap-crossing capability needs, and it has provided modular bridging systems to the US DoD and other NATO allies.
In July 2021, the company also began the production of the Boxer Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) in the UK at its recently built Stockport facility. WFEL undertakes the fabrication of the armoured vehicle structures together with the assembly, integration and testing.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
Aselsan has started producing Akkor active protection system for Altay tank
Akkor is an active protection system (APS) developed by Aselsan, equipped with both hard- and soft-kill functionalities. It provides protection against antitank missiles and rockets for armoured vehicles and is designed for Turkey’s Leopard and Altay tanks.
-
Fering Pioneer X moves towards production
The Pioneer X long-range vehicle has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 3,500kg, of which 1,850kg is payload and the lightweight carbon chassis can be fitted with various top modules to suit requirements. In addition, there is the potential for a 6x6 version with increased volume and payload.
-
NP Aerospace brings life to Jankel as others eye it as Land Mobility Programme partner
NP Aerospace took over Jankel’s contract to supply and support Belgium’s Light Tactical Transport Vehicle (LTTV) fleet after acquiring Jankel Armouring’s assets.
-
Lessons from Ukraine are complex, say forces’ leaders
The Ukraine war has provided impactful videos on social media, namely the sight of small uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) bombing or attacking vehicles and soldiers. This has, however, been overstated and the basics of warfare and effects remain unchanged, according to leading military personnel.
-
Thales targets requirements with Xtraim digital weapon sight and reveals that thousands have already been sold
The sight can be used by soldiers wearing night-vision goggles if required and has an all-in-one architecture that combines conventional red-dot and thermal imaging technologies.
-
US Army to launch hunt for new artillery
The search will look at existing artillery with an acknowledgement that a large part of the effect from the weapons comes from the munitions used.