imported>Kaltenmeyer: WP:AWB clean up, typo(s) fixed: based of → based on

2025-06-25T01:19:26Z

WP:AWB clean up, typo(s) fixed: based of → based on

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{{Short description|Military engineering vehicle}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
[[File:SE 003429.jpg|alt=|thumb|300x300px|A [[Valentine tank#Variants|Valentine]] bridgelayer of the 3rd Independent Bridge Building Company, [[Royal Armoured Corps]], spans a damaged bridge near [[Battle of Meiktila and Mandalay|Meiktila]], March 1945.]]
An '''armoured vehicle-launched bridge''' ('''AVLB''') <ref>{{cite web|title=Fatigue Life Prediction for Armoured Vehicle-Launched Bridge for MLC70 and MLC80 Loads|url=http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA479832|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801180308/http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA479832|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 August 2013|publisher=RDECOM|access-date=6 May 2013}}</ref> is a combat support vehicle, sometimes regarded as a subtype of [[military engineering vehicle]], designed to assist militaries in rapidly deploying [[tank]]s and other [[armoured fighting vehicle]]s across gap-type obstacles, such as rivers. The AVLB is usually a tracked vehicle converted from a tank chassis to carry a folding metal bridge instead of weapons. The AVLB's job is to allow armoured or infantry units to cross craters, anti-tank ditches, blown bridges, railroad cuts, canals, rivers and ravines,<ref>{{cite web|title=Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge (AVLB)|url=http://olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_avlb.php|publisher=Olive-Drab|access-date=6 May 2013}}</ref> when a river too deep for vehicles to wade through is reached, and no bridge is conveniently located, or sufficiently sturdy, a substantial concern when moving 60-ton tanks.

The bridge layer unfolds and launches its cargo, providing a ready-made bridge across the obstacle in only minutes. Once the span has been put in place, the AVLB vehicle detaches from the bridge, and moves aside to allow traffic to pass. Once all of the vehicles have crossed, it crosses the bridge itself and reattaches to the bridge on the other side. It then retracts the span ready to move off again. A similar procedure can be employed to allow crossings of small chasms or similar obstructions.

AVLBs can carry bridges of 19 metres (60 feet) or greater in length. By using a tank chassis, the bridge layer is able to cover the same terrain as [[main battle tank]]s. The provision of armour allows them to operate even in the face of enemy fire. However, this is not a universal attribute: some exceptionally sturdy 6×6 or 8×8 truck chassis have lent themselves to bridge-layer applications.
{{external media
| float=right
| width = 240px
| video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oyLgTBZHe4 Video of FV4205 Chieftain Armoured Vehicle-Launched Bridge (AVLB)] showing an AVLB in action and the various steps of laying the bridge
}}

==Origins==
[[File:A Mark IV (Male) tank of 'H' Battalion, 'Hyacinth', ditched in a German trench while supporting 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment near Ribecourt during the Battle of Cambrai, 20 November 1917. Q6432.jpg|thumb|A British [[Mark IV tank]] at Cambrai.]]

The roots of the modern AVLB can be found in [[World War I]], at the dawn of [[armoured warfare|tank warfare]]. Having developed [[tank]]s, the [[United Kingdom]] and [[France]] were confronted with the problem of mounting tank advances in the face of the trenches that dominated the battlefields. Early engagements, such as at [[Battle of Cambrai (1917)|Cambrai]] demonstrated the tank's utility, but also highlighted its vulnerability to battlefield geography—many early tanks found themselves ignominiously stuck in the trenches, having insufficiently long tracks to cross them (as at right).

To counter this disadvantage, tanks, especially the common [[Mark I (tank)|British Heavy tanks]], began to go into battle with [[fascine]]s, sometimes as simple as a bundle of heavy sticks, carried on top. By dropping these into the trenches, they were able to create a wedge over which the tank could drive. Later, some tanks began to carry rails on their decks—the first AVLBs.

By 1919, the British Army had, at its training centre in Christchurch, a Mark V** tank with lifting gear able to carry and place a bridge or carry out mine clearing and demolition.<ref>[http://www.tankmuseum.org/ixbin/indexplus?_IXSS_=_IXMENU_%3d%26ALL%3dmark%2bv%252a%252a%26_IXACTION_%3dsummary%26%252asform%3d%252fsearch_form%252fbovtm_combined%26_IXSESSION_%3dLuV1mqWk4Fw%26TYPE%3darticle%26_IXFPFX_%3dtemplates%252fsummary%252f&_IXFIRST_=13&_IXSPFX_=templates/full/tvod/t&_IXMAXHITS_=1&submit-button=summary&_IXSESSION_=LuV1mqWk4Fw&_IXMENU_=Vehicles Tank, Mark V** (Female) (E1949.325)]</ref>

==World War II and subsequent use==
[[File:Churchill-AVRE-with-Small-Box-Girder-Bridge-and-Churchill-Crocodile.jpg|thumb|right|A Churchill AVRE with [[Small Box Girder]] Bridge and Churchill Crocodile flame-throwing tank in 1945]]

It was in the [[World War II]] era that the importance of armoured bridge layers, as well as [[combat engineering vehicle]]s and [[armoured recovery vehicle]]s, became fully clear. With the advent of [[Blitzkrieg]] warfare, whole divisions had to advance along with tanks, which were suddenly far out-pacing the speed of infantry soldiers. Besides leading to the advent of [[self-propelled artillery]]/[[assault gun]]s, [[Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon|mobile anti-aircraft]] and [[armoured personnel carrier]]s/[[Armored car (military)|cars]], it became clear that functions like vehicle repair, mine-clearing, and the like would have to be carried out by armoured vehicles advancing along with tanks.

These forces would have to be able to cross all forms of terrain without losing speed, and without having to concentrate their thrusts over certain bridges. The rising weight of armoured vehicles meant that fewer bridges could support these massed crossings. The only feasible solution to the dilemma posed by the mobility of all-mechanised armed forces was a dedicated platform that could improvise river and obstacle crossings at short notice and in inconvenient locations. Tracked and armoured, it was capable of operating alongside combat units, crossing rough terrain and advancing in the face of light fire. To maximize on common parts and ease maintenance complications, they were usually based on existing tank chassis.

{{multiple image
|align= right
|width= 150
|footer = The [[Covenanter tank#Variants|Covenanter tank bridge-layer]]
|image1= IWM-MH-3675-Covenanter-bridgelayer.jpg
|width1=
|caption1= Circa 1943, a Covenanter deploys its bridge.
|image2= Puckapunyal-Covenanter-Bridgelayer-1.jpg
|width2=
|caption2= Circa 2007, a Covenanter tank bridgelayer with bridge folded

|image3= CovenanterBridgelayer Lancers.JPG
|width3=
|caption3= Circa 2008, a Covenanter tank bridgelayer at the 1/15th Royal NSW Lancers awaiting restoration.
}}

One of the earliest series-produced examples is the ''Brückenleger IV'', a German AVLB based on the [[Panzer IV]], which entered service with the [[Wehrmacht]] in 1940. Twenty were built, but problems of excessive weight limited the vehicle's effectiveness, and eventually all 20 were converted back to tanks. A new scissors bridge design was brought out by the British in response to the war, sufficient to support a 24-ton load over {{convert|30|ft|m|abbr=on}}. This was developed for the [[Covenanter tank]]. It developed into a 30-ton capacity and was carried by a turretless [[Valentine tank]]. It was used in Italy, North West Europe and [[Burma campaign|Burma]].

The [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] developed similar equipment, mostly based on the ubiquitous [[Churchill tank|Churchill]] infantry tank carrying the [[Small Box Girder]], and the [[M4 Sherman|Sherman]] [[medium tank]] of the [[British Army|British]] and [[United States Army|U.S.]] armies, respectively. In some early designs, bridge-layers could emplace bridges, but not retract them. Other vehicles were integral to the bridge themselves, such as the [[Churchill tank#Specialist vehicles|Churchill Ark]], wading to the middle of a river or driving up against an obstacle and extending simple ramps in both directions. Following vehicles would drive directly over the bridge layer.

==Modern==
Most modern bridge layers are based on a main battle tank chassis.<ref>{{cite web|title=ENGINEER AND COUNTERMINE EQUIPMENT |url=http://www3.ausa.org/webpub/DeptGreenBook.nsf/byid/WEBP-77GMWR/$File/Engineer%20&%20Countermine.pdf?OpenElement |publisher=AUSA.Org |access-date=6 May 2013 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> An example of a modern main battle tank (MBT) chassis being converted to a bridgelayer is the creation of the [[M104 Wolverine]] Armored Bridgelayer. Based on a modified M1A2 SEP MBT chassis, the Wolverine replaces the MBT turret with a bridge fitted atop the chassis.

The bridge atop the M104 Wolverine measures 26m in length, and takes just 4 minutes to place across an obstacle securely. The bridge is built to be able to withstand countless crossings of vehicles as heavy as the [[M1A2 Abrams]], which weighs around 70 tonnes. Another approach to bridge laying across water is the use of amphibious vehicles, which act as combination of pontoon and roadway. These enter the water and join to form a bridge. An example is the German [[M3 Amphibious Rig]], a [[bridging vehicle]] used by Germany, the UK, [[Singapore]], and [[Taiwan]].

;Notable AVLBs in service
{{expand section|date=June 2011}}

* [[India]]: [[DRDO Sarvatra]] Sarvatra is a truck-mounted, multi-span, mobile bridging system.
* [[India]]: [[T-72|T-72 Bridge Layered Tank]], Bridge-Laying system mounted on [[T-72]] tank.<ref>{{Cite web |title=T-72 Bridge Layered Tank, Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited, India |url=https://avnl.co.in/products/t-72-bridge-layered-tank |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=avnl.co.in}}</ref>
* [[France]]: SPRAT [[système de pose rapide de travures]] PTA2, based on an 8x8 truck chassis
* [[Germany]]: [[Leopard 1#Modified and derivative vehicles|Biber]] based on the Leopard 1 tank chassis and is used by most Leopard 1 users.
* Germany: [[Leopard 2#Engineering and driver training tanks|Panzerschnellbrücke 2]], based on the Leopard 2 Chassis. No production orders.
* Germany: [[:de:Panzerschnellbrücke Leguan|Panzerschnellbrücke Leguan]]: This modular system combines a bridge module created by [[MAN SE|MAN Mobile Bridges GmbH]] with a tank chassis. The Bundeswehr is testing the Leguan on Leopard 2 chassis.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.baainbw.de/portal/a/baain/start/aktuell/allena/!ut/p/z1/hY_RC4IwEMb_I29ONHtULBNERcNyLzF02MI2GUt66I9vI-pNuocP7vvufscBgTMQQRc-Us2loJPpOxJc4jA_5niLcVLtMMq8Q-vXcYnKFEMLp38jxMRopSIEDRPQGcZmneFBAwTIwJxeCqataiY0NzoqqqVyZqn0ZJOHUiZx-AAdcpMYYe97yn1FVbBrUuwFSRbXFnijC33-dmlvn4buSsUwsUr20ceY7_uwKPzxDdw28pM!|title=Prototype of the LEGUAN Assault Bridge Arrives as Scheduled|publisher=BAAINBw|date=6 July 2017|access-date=25 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722184749/http://www.baainbw.de/portal/a/baain/start/aktuell/allena/!ut/p/z1/hY_RC4IwEMb_I29ONHtULBNERcNyLzF02MI2GUt66I9vI-pNuocP7vvufscBgTMQQRc-Us2loJPpOxJc4jA_5niLcVLtMMq8Q-vXcYnKFEMLp38jxMRopSIEDRPQGcZmneFBAwTIwJxeCqataiY0NzoqqqVyZqn0ZJOHUiZx-AAdcpMYYe97yn1FVbBrUuwFSRbXFnijC33-dmlvn4buSsUwsUr20ceY7_uwKPzxDdw28pM!|archive-date=22 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[China]]: [[Type 08#Variants|GQC-003]], based on [[Type 08]] IFV
*[[Japan]]: [[Type 61 (tank)|Type 67 AVLB]], based on [[Type 61 (tank)|Type 61]] MBT.
*Japan: [[Type 74 tank|Type 91 AVLB]], based on [[Type 74 tank|Type 74]] MBT and [[Type 87 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun|Type 87 SPAAG]].
* Poland / East Germany: BLG-67 based on T-55 tank
* [[Russia]]: [[T-72|MTU-72 AVLB]], based on the T-72 MBT
* Russia: [[MT-55]], based on the [[T-55]] medium tank
* [[United Kingdom]]: [[Titan Armoured Vehicle Launching Bridge|Titan Armoured Vehicle Launcher Bridge]], based on the [[Challenger 2]] MBT.<ref>[http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/engineering/1492.aspx Titan Armoured Vehicle Launcher Bridge – British Army Website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903132423/http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/engineering/1492.aspx |date=3 September 2011 }}</ref> Replaces ChAVLB, the [[Chieftain tank]]-based AVLB.
* [[Canada]]: Beaver armoured bridgelayer vehicle based on the [[Leopard 1]]
* [[United States of America|United States]]: [[M60A1 Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge (AVLB)|M60A1 AVLB]], based on the [[M60 Patton|M60]] MBT; now supplanted by the [[M104 Wolverine]] and [[M1074 Joint Assault Bridge]], based on the [[M1 Abrams]] MBT
* [[Saudi Arabian Army|Saudi Arabia]]: [[AMX-30 Bridge]], based on the French [[AMX-30]].
* [[Turkish Army|Turkey]]: [[SYHK]], an amphibious bridging vehicle based on the [[FNSS Pars]].
<gallery>
File:Szkolenie doskonalące obsług pływających transporterów samobieżnych (03).jpg|Polish BLG-67M
File:SPRAT, le 14 juillet 2012 à Paris.JPG|French [[SPRAT]]
File:Biber - 5.jpg|A [[Leopard 1#Modified and derivative vehicles|Biber]] of the [[German Army]] using its own bridge
File:Panzerschnellbrücke Leguan.jpg|[[Leopard 2#Engineering and driver training tanks|Leguan]]-prototype with bridge of the German Army
File:M60A1 Armored Vehicle Landing Bridge.jpg|An [[M60 AVLB|M60A1 Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge]], deploying its scissors-type bridge.
File:９１式戦車橋P1000007 装備 6.jpg|[[Japan Ground Self-Defense Force|JGSDF]] Type 91 AVLB
File:IMFT 6 2015 344.jpeg|[[Brückenpanzer 68]] of the [[Swiss Armed Forces]]
File:MT-55 Militärtag - Uffenheim - 2015 .jpg|[[MT-55]]
</gallery>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Kartik BLT]]
*[[AM 50]] automatically launched assault bridge
* [[Bailey bridge]]
* [[Callender-Hamilton bridge]]
* [[Mabey Logistic Support Bridge]]
* [[Medium Girder Bridge]]
* [[Military engineer]]
* [[Pontoon bridge]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.armedforces.co.uk/army/listings/l0108.html Titan Armoured Vehicle Launcher Bridge (AVLB) at Armedforces.co.uk]

{{Commons category|Armoured vehicle-launched bridges}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Armoured Vehicle-Launched Bridge}}
[[Category:Armoured vehicle-launched bridges| ]]
[[Category:Military bridging equipment]]
[[Category:English inventions]]

Armoured vehicle-launched bridge - Revision history

imported>Kaltenmeyer: WP:AWB clean up, typo(s) fixed: based of → based on