German Company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann supplies three LEGUAN bridge layers to Swedish Army 0707145

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Defence & Security Industry News - Krauss-Maffei Wegmann
 
 
Monday, July 7, 2014 02:58 PM
 
German Company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann supplies three LEGUAN bridge layers to Swedish Army.
On 26. June 2014, the Swedish procurement authorities and KMW signed a contract in Stockholm for the purchase of three LEGUAN bridge layers on LEOPARD 2 chassis. The value of the order amounts to about 34 million euro, and includes peripheral services and training equipment, as well as an option for further vehicles.
     
On 26. June 2014, the Swedish procurement authorities and KMW signed a contract in Stockholm for the purchase of three LEGUAN bridge layers on LEOPARD 2 chassis. The value of the order amounts to about 34 million euro, and includes peripheral services and training equipment, as well as an option for further vehicles.
The automatic laying and loading system of LEGUAN can lay a bridge horizontally in approximately 5 minutes (14 meter bridge) and 6 minutes (26 meter bridge) by a single person.
     
Sweden now counted amongst the 15 user nations of the LEGUAN system, and is one of the three countries which have introduced the system with the LEOPARD 2 chassis.

In this variant, the LEGUAN is capable of laying a 26 metre bridge or two 14 metre bridges independent of each other, whose MLC 80 (approx. 70t) load capacity can be used by even the heaviest equipment.

Its versatility in combination with the LEOPARD 2 chassis' unique properties of protection and mobility makes the LEGUAN also suitable for civilian use e.g. after natural catastrophes, in order to recreate the infrastructure. With additional pontoons, it is also possible to use the LEGUAN bridge as a ferry or a floating bridge.

The bridge laying system LEGUAN is the consequent and continued development of the armored bridge layer BIBER. Mounted on the chassis frame of the LEOPARD 1 the BIBER has been in service with the German Army since the 1970ies. Since the upgrading and retrofitting of the LEOPARD 2 A4 to become the LEOPARD 2 A5 in the early 90ies, the load carrying capacity of the BIBER-bridges is not large enough anymore for the modern systems. The LEGUAN system by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, whose bridges can easily be used by vehicles of the MLC80 class, not only offers sufficient load capacities for the vehicles in service with the German Army (maximum weight momentarily at MLC70) but is also capable of carrying future, heavier systems as well as oversized and overweight equipment of allied armed forces.

The automatic laying and loading system can lay a bridge horizontally in approximately 5 minutes (14 meter bridge) and 6 minutes (26 meter bridge) by a single person. The low silhouette of the vehicle remains preserved during this procedure. The loading of the bridge takes 8 minutes with the 26 meter bridge and only 7 with the 14 meter bridge.