Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany—December 4—Aluminum bridge manufacturer MAADI Group will showcase its new LVTB-2418 tactical vehicle bridge at the upcoming Military Engineering Centre of Excellence in Germany Industry Day on December 4, 2019. This global event gathers NATO Command Structure, NATO Force Structure, NATO Partner Nations, NATO Agencies, NGOs, IOs, GOs, Partners for Peace, CIMIC and Academia to meet with pioneering enterprises in the Military Engineering fields.
“Our new LVTB-2418 tactical vehicle bridge has been tested specifically for the efficient and secure transportation of troops using NATO UTVs Polaris MRZR®,” says MAADI Group President Alexandre de la Chevrotière. “We’re excited to be part of Industry Day and to meet those responsible for critical operations, missions and activities across several military domains.”
MAADI Group’s new modular design product is constructed of high-strength, yet lightweight aluminum alloy to withstand heavy, repeated use. Designed for NATO UTV—utility task vehicle or side by side—the LVTB-2418 is manufactured for fast installation by a minimum of six soldiers with basic tools or training to expand supply lines and deployment capabilities. Even in remote locations, it’s relatively effortless to change the bridge length and configuration to meet tactical objectives.
This hardwearing vehicle tactical bridge is shipped quickly in 20 ft (6 m) standard containers anywhere in the world and comes with a custom trailer. The components are arranged in the container for easy access to ensure that nothing is lost or damaged during transportation, whether by vehicle, helicopter, or by ship.
Once on the ground, components are easily transported in the trailer with space for storing tools and a maximum load of 680.4 kg – 1,500 lb. The trailer adapts to fit the bridge and can expand in width (from 6′-6″ to 10′-2″ – 1.83 m to 3.10 m) to transport components in up to four configurations
The LVTB-2418 military bridge’s components are engineered to maximize load-bearing capacity with minimal structural weight and bundled for easy transport between military base and theater of operations. The versatile bridge design provides critical infrastructure to move troops, light vehicles and supplies, and facilitate set-up and easy access to mobile medical units, communications centers and fuel supply stations. MAADI Group’s involvement in the Military Engineering fields is far from new.
In 2016, the Canadian Army purchased MAADI Group’s Make-A-Bridge modular, weld-free aluminum pedestrian bridge system, launching it as an Infantry Assault Bridge (IAB) to transport troops and light equipment to remote sites on humanitarian missions, such as earthquake relief in Haiti, Tsunami relief in Japan, and to navigate flooded areas in Newfoundland, Canada that would otherwise be inaccessible. The Canadian Army cited aluminum’s lighter weight and mobility with no maintenance as the main reasons this bridge was ideal for civil disaster-relief applications. Building on the success of its pedestrian bridge or “Infantry Assault Bridge,” MAADI Group then developed the LVTB-2418 tactical vehicle bridge.
“The new LVTB fills a gap in the market that other products don’t fill,” says de la Chevrotière. “It’s even faster to assemble than other modular bridges and has reinforced parts to make it more responsive for troop movements.”
Since 2005, the Canadian company has designed hundreds of structural aluminum projects. Using functional and sustainable design principles MAADI Group delivers the highest caliber of engineering solutions to national and global customers.
Says de la Chevrotière who began his career in 1991, working extensively with aluminum in the shipbuilding industry, retrofitting NATO destroyers: “The adaptable nature of our tactical vehicle bridge makes military forces more mobile, and gives operations personnel better access to equipment, supplies and strategic locations for critical humanitarian missions throughout the world.
