NEWTOWN, Conn. -- On March 27, 2020, the U.S. Army Contracting Command (Detroit Arsenal MI) awarded Oshkosh Defense LLC (Oshkosh WI) a $25,669,720 fixed-price-incentive contract for HEMTT Common Bridge Transporters and basic issue item kits with and without winches on the Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2022.

The U.S. Army currently employs the HEMTT-based M1977 Common Bridge Transporter vehicle with two tactical bridging systems -- the Rapidly Emplaced Bridging System and the Tactical Bridge, Float-Ribbon.

The Rapidly Emplaced Bridging System is a product of General Dynamics European Land Systems (formerly Eisenwerke Kaiserslautern). This truck-mounted MLC 30 bridge is capable of spanning a 13 meter (42.65-ft) unprepared bank gap. Air transportable by C 130 aircraft, the REBS and launcher mount on a flatrack powered by an M1977 Common Bridge Transporter vehicle. Two soldiers can deploy or retrieve the REBS within 10 minutes.

The U.S. Army employed the REBS with the Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCTs) as a stop-gap alternative to the aging M48/M60 series AVLBs. Army funding for REBS ended after FY07. Total REBS procurement consisted of 28 units.

The U.S. Army is currently procuring the Tactical Bridge, Float-Ribbon as the next-generation ribbon bridge. A product of General Dynamics Santa Barbara Sistemas GmbH, the TBFR consists of bridge bays (interior and ramp sections), Mk II Bridge Erection Boats (BEBs), and Common Bridge Transporter (CBT) vehicles.

Each brigade-level Multirole Bridge Company can transport, erect, launch, and retrieve 210 meters (688.97 ft) of TBFR bridging. The Army currently maintains a procurement objective of 1,582 TBFR bridge bays, 501 Mk II BEB craft, and 1,556 CBT vehicles.

Under the auspices of the Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles program, U.S. Army procurement of Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck and Palletized Load System vehicle components will continue through FY24.

Since its combat debut during Operation Desert Storm (1991), the HEMTT heavy logistics vehicle has proven itself to be a vital element of the U.S. Army's logistical tail. Furthermore, the vehicle's compatibility with C-130 and C-17 tactical transport aircraft helps ensure that the Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles will remain the primary platform for the U.S. Army's and U.S. Marine Corps' heavy tactical logistical vehicle fleet for the foreseeable future.

Source: Forecast International
Author: D. Lockwood, Weapons Systems Analyst