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.
MGB