Poland receives more M1110 Joint Assault Bridges from U.S. to support 366 Abrams tanks across battlefield obstacles.

Poland’s Armament Agency announced the delivery of a new shipment of U.S.-made M1110 Joint Assault Bridge (JAB) armored vehicles to support the Polish Army's expanding fleet of 366 M1 Abrams main battle tanks. The latest shipment, destined primarily for the 18th Mechanized Division, builds on an initial delivery from July 2026 as part of a 25-vehicle procurement program. Based on a modified Abrams chassis, the 62.3-ton M1110 deploys a Heavy Assault Scissor Bridge (HASB) to provide heavy armored units with gap-crossing capabilities over obstacles up to 18.3 meters wide.

The M1110 Joint Assault Bridge is an upgraded version of the M1074, retaining its Abrams-based chassis and hydraulic launching mechanism while replacing the earlier MLC 95 bridge with the MLC 115 Heavy Assault Scissor Bridge (HASB). (Picture source: US DoD)

On October 29, 2026, Poland's Armament Agency announced another delivery of U.S.-made M1110 Joint Assault Bridge (JAB) vehicles, increasing the crossing capabilities available for the Polish Army's 366 M1 Abrams main battle tanks. The delivery follows the arrival of at least eight M1110s on July 14, although Poland has not disclosed how many vehicles were included in the latest shipment or how many have been received altogether. Poland ordered 25 M1110 bridge-layers, including 17 accompanying 250 M1A2 SEPv3 tanks and eight accompanying 116 M1A1 FEP tanks, equivalent to one M1110 per 14.64 Abrams. Each M110 JAB deploys a Heavy Assault Scissor Bridge (HASB) capable of spanning gaps up to 18.3 meters wide, rated at MLC 115 for normal crossings and at MLC 120 under restricted conditions, allowing Abrams tanks to cross anti-tank ditches, canals, and damaged infrastructure.

By September 21, Poland had received 333 Abrams tanks, including all 116 M1A1 FEPs and 217 M1A2 SEPv3s, with the remaining 33 scheduled for delivery before the end of 2026. The bridge-layers will primarily support the 18th Mechanized Division, which is scheduled to operate 348 Abrams tanks across six battalions. Poland acquired these 25 M1110s through two Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreements signed on April 5, 2022, and January 4, 2023. The first, valued at $4.75 billion, included 250 M1A2 SEPv3 tanks, 26 M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicles, 17 M1110s, ammunition, training equipment, and logistical support. The second, valued at $1.4 billion net, covered 116 M1A1 FEP tanks, 12 M88A2s, eight M1110s, and 26 M1152A1 mobile maintenance vehicles equipped with Next Generation Shop Equipment Contact Maintenance systems.

Related topic: Poland eyes 25 US-made M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles to clear paths for tanks through minefields

Both agreements established similar bridging ratios, at one M1110 per 14.71 M1A2 SEPv3 tanks and one per 14.50 M1A1 FEP tanks, corresponding to 3.96 bridge-layers per 58-tank battalion at the combined procurement ratio. On July 31, 2025, Poland signed an additional $115 million net agreement for 25 M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles (ABVs) and 11 M88A2s, increasing the planned Hercules fleet to 49. The M1110s are arriving alongside the final Abrams deliveries in 2026, while the M1150 mine-breaching vehicles are scheduled to arrive in 2029. The M1110 is derived from the M1074 Joint Assault Bridge and combines a modified M1A1 Abrams hull, M1A2 suspension components, and a hydraulic bridge-launching mechanism replacing the tank turret.

How the M1110 bridge-layer supports Poland's heaviest Abrams tanks

It weighs 62.3 metric tons, including a 14-ton HASB assembly, which accounts for 22.5% of the total weight, and operates with a two-person crew consisting of a driver and commander. Its 1,500 hp Honeywell AGT1500 gas turbine provides 24.1 hp per metric ton, compared with 21.4 hp per metric ton for a 70-ton M1A2 SEPv3. The M1110 reaches 72 km/h on roads and 48 km/h cross-country, allowing it to accompany Abrams tanks during tactical movements. With the bridge carried, it measures 12.8 meters long, 4.15 meters wide, and 3.95 meters high, which exceeds the standard 2.55-meter European civilian road vehicle width limit by 1.6 meters, requiring special transport arrangements. Leonardo DRS produces the launching mechanism, with Anniston Army Depot participates in hull and bridge work.

Following an 11-day evaluation by the U.S. Army in 2020, involving more than 40 natural-gap crossings and 22 combined-arms breaches, the JAB's full-rate production was approved in March 2021 and full materiel release followed in April 2023. The Heavy Assault Scissor Bridge (HASB) has an MLC 115 normal rating and an MLC 120 restricted rating, corresponding to reference loads of 104.3 and 108.9 metric tons, although these classifications also incorporate track dimensions, load distribution, crossing speed, and operating restrictions, rather than weight alone. Its nominal 18.3-meter spanning capability covers short obstacles, provided the banks, approach gradients, and supporting ground can sustain the bridge and passing vehicles. Deployment requires three to five minutes, while recovery takes six to ten minutes, producing a nine-to-fifteen-minute combined mechanical cycle before vehicle passage or repositioning.

The bridge launcher offers primary, hydraulic-power-unit-only, engine-only, and slave operating modes to maintain functionality after certain equipment failures. The MLC 120 classification also permits more demanding crossings at the cost of additional structural fatigue and potentially shorter bridge service life. Compared with the 70-ton Polish M1A2 SEPv3, the MLC 115 reference load is 34.3 metric tons higher, although actual crossing authorization depends on the tank's military load classification rather than this arithmetic difference. Poland plans to concentrate 348 of its 366 Abrams tanks (95.1% of its inventory) within the 18th Mechanized Division, retaining 18 Abrams tanks at the Land Forces Training Center. The division's six 58-tank battalions comprise three in the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade, totaling 174 tanks, two in the 19th Mechanized Brigade, totaling 116, and one in the 18th Motorized Brigade, with 58.

Poland prepares to equip six battalions with 348 Abrams tanks

The 116 M1A1 FEP tanks, delivered between June 2023 and 2024, weigh 63 to 65 metric tons and retain the M1A1's 120 mm M256 cannon, AGT1500 turbine, improved optics, and upgraded fire-control equipment. The 70-ton M1A2 SEPv3, for its part, introduces improved armor, electrical power management, digital communications, and compatibility with newer ammunition. The first 28 M1A2 SEPv3 tanks arrived in January 2025, and a further 35 delivered in September 2026 brought the cumulative total to 217. If all 25 M1110s were assigned to the division, there would be one bridge-layer for every 13.92 operationally assigned Abrams tanks, although this calculation excludes vehicles retained for training or maintenance. The number of available M1110s to the Polish Army matters, as each bridge logically establishes only one crossing lane, forcing tanks and accompanying vehicles to pass through the same point unless additional bridges are deployed.

At illustrative 30-second intervals, the passage of a Polish battalion's 58 Abrams tanks would require 29 minutes, increasing to 58 minutes at 60-second intervals; the bridge deployment, when included, raises these figures to 32-34 and 61-63 minutes, excluding reconnaissance, supporting vehicles, and interruptions. Establishing two independent lanes and dividing the battalion equally would reduce the nominal 30-second-spacing passage time to 14.5 minutes per lane, while four lanes carrying 14 or 15 tanks each would require seven to 7.5 minutes. These are arithmetic scenarios, not certified crossing rates, and assume suitable terrain and uninterrupted traffic. Moreover, the M1110 also lacks a tank turret or main gun, leaving its crew dependent on accompanying combat units for protection. During deployment, its hydraulic equipment and raised bridge also remain exposed, while the installed span creates a fixed crossing point vulnerable to artillery fire, loitering munitions, and blocked approaches.

Why bridging capacity matters for Poland's Abrams tank fleet

The M1110 forms only one part of Poland's wider effort to provide engineering support for its expanding tank forces. The planned Abrams-related fleet includes 25 M1110 bridge-layers, 25 M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles, and 49 M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicles, equivalent to one bridge-layer and one breaching vehicle per 14.64 Abrams tanks and one recovery vehicle per 7.47 tanks. The M1150 uses an Abrams-derived chassis and mine-clearing line charges to open routes through minefields and prepared obstacles, and the M1110 provides a bridge when those cleared routes encounter ditches or other gaps. Recovery duties fall to the M88A2, a 63-ton vehicle powered by a 1,050 hp Continental AVDS-1790-8CR diesel engine and equipped with a 35-ton crane and a main winch rated at 70 tons of pulling force. Poland is also acquiring 25 K2 armored vehicle-launched bridges (AVLBs) and 55 MS-20 Daglezja-S systems, alongside six Leopard Biber bridge-layers, bringing its planned inventory to 111 bridging systems across four categories.

These systems differ in span, load classification, and intended use, particularly as Poland expands its South Korean tank fleet to 360 K2s, including 296 K2GF and 64 K2PL vehicles scheduled through 2030. The M1110, for its part, addresses a mobility constraint affecting Poland's heavy Abrams tanks, which cannot cross anti-tank ditches, damaged bridges, or canals without suitable engineering equipment. Its nominal span permits short-gap crossings but cannot replace longer bridges required for wider waterways. Poland's acquisition of the M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle complements the JAB by providing mine-clearing capabilities, although M1150 deliveries are not scheduled until 2029. Additional bridge-layers can establish parallel crossings, reducing vehicle concentration, but require suitable approaches and engineering support.

During its three-to-five-minute deployment cycle, the M1110 remains exposed to artillery, loitering munitions, and precision weapons, while its 4.15-meter width and dependence on stable ground complicate positioning and recovery. Even with M88A2 Hercules recovery support, a disabled bridge-layer can obstruct an approach and delay following vehicles. For the 18th Mechanized Division's six Abrams battalions, crossing capacity can therefore become a limiting factor even when sufficient tanks, fuel, and ammunition remain available. The October delivery, therefore, increases Poland's ability to establish additional crossing points and sustain movement across successive obstacles, but effective employment requires coordination between armored battalions, engineering reconnaissance, bridge-layers, recovery vehicles, and eventually the M1150 breaching fleet.

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Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.