In a major boost to indigenisation of defence equipment under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, Ministry of Defence has approved the proposal for indigenous manufacture of 41 sets of Modular Bridges for the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. These game-changing bridges have been designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and shall be produced by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) as DRDO-nominated production agency. The contract for the procurement of Modular Bridges was signed with L&T on February 08, 2023 at an estimated cost of over Rs 2,585 crore.

Each set of Modular Bridge shall consist of seven carrier vehicles based on 8x8 Heavy Mobility Vehicles and two launcher vehicles based on 10x10 Heavy Mobility Vehicles. Each set shall be capable of mechanically launching a single span fully decked 46-meter assault bridge. The bridge can be employed over various types of obstacles like canals & ditches with quick launching and retrieval capabilities. The equipment is highly mobile, versatile, rugged and capable of keeping pace with wheeled and tracked mechanized vehicles.

The modular bridges will replace the manually-­launched Medium Girder Bridges (MGB) that are currently being used in the Indian Army. The indigenously designed and manufactured Modular bridges shall have many advantages over the MGB such as increased span, less time for construction and mechanical launching with retrieval capability. The procurement of these bridges will give a major boost to the bridging capability of the Indian Army on the Western Front. The project will showcase India’s progress in designing and developing world class military equipment and pave the way for enhancing defence exports to friendly countries.

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ABB/Savvy

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