The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (Forsvarsmateriell) has recently handed over five of eight new armoured vehicle-launched bridges (AVLBs) to the Norwegian Army, the agency announced on 11 December 2023.
The vehicles in question are Leguan-type AVLBs from KNDS/Krauss-Maffei Wegmann in Germany that will replace the Leopard 1-based AVLBs currently in use.
The Leguan is a modular bridging system that, in the case of the new Norwegian vehicles, is mounted on the chassis of a Leopard 2 main battle tank (MBT).
The Leguan bridge itself is composed of 14 m and 26 m modules, constructed from aluminium, that allows the AVLB to rapidly deploy crossings over ditches, rivers and other obstacles on the battlefield. The Leopard 2-based AVLBs include a feature that automatically and continuously calculates the load on the bridge, allowing the permissible additional load to be precisely determined at any given moment.
The choice of the Leopard 2 chassis as the basis for the AVLB provides logistical advantages for users of the Leopard 2 MBT, such as Norway, since a number of spare parts and service/repair procedures are identical. These advantages are further increased by the fact that the Leopard 2, including the AVLB, is in use by several of Norway’s NATO allies. The use of the Leopard 2 platform also gives the AVLB the same tactical mobility as the Leopard 2 MBT, allowing it to keep up with armoured units in the field.
The total value of the AVLB contract was given as EUR 88.2 M. In addition to the five vehicles now handed over, a further three will be delivered between now and 2027.
The contract also includes a simulator that allows bridge deployment to be practised in the classroom. This minimises the need to use the AVLBs themselves for training, which not only reduces operating costs but ensures that the vehicles are free for actual operational use.
