New Floating Bridge Programs for the Polish Armed Forces, as of 2025 [INTERVIEW]

Jakub Palowski: Poland has signed a framework settlement for CNIM Systèmes Industriels motorised floating bridges in mid 2022, and in August a primary execution contract was concluded. What would be the subsequent steps, towards the supply of the system and probably attaining the operational functionality for the Polish Army?

Xavier Montazel: The framework settlement signed with the Polish Armed Forces refers to a typical PFM package deal, configured as a 100 meters lengthy bridge, or as 2 50-meter-long ferries. The configuration contains all the mandatory automobiles, trailers, and logistical belongings. The supply of the primary two PFM units for the Polish Armed Forces is deliberate to occur in mid-2025. In the meantime, we additionally count on additional packages to be procured, at common intervals. These could be delivered after 2026.

Might you please remind us what the PFM – Motorized Floating Bridge is?

Motorized Floating Bridge is one among a form answer, designed for crossing water obstacles (rivers, lakes), by navy automobiles. The person modules, transported by tracked platforms, or by 8×8 vehicles, permit for simple meeting of a pontoon bridge in lower than 1 hour, making it attainable to cross the impediment for every type of preventing automobiles. To satisfy a wide range of terrain circumstances, the bridge is available in two major configurations – as a hard and fast bridge, or as a ferry, with totally different setup choices.

The PFM system has been operated for 3 many years now, in armed forces everywhere in the world. Greater than 5,500 meters of this bridge are operated world wide, bringing full satisfaction to the person group.

What are the capabilities and benefits of the Polish PFM system?

The most recent variant of the PFM pontoon bridge that may be delivered to the Polish Armed Forces by 2025 is enhanced with essentially the most trendy of tactical and technological capabilities.

The most recent model of the Motorized Floating Bridge, which can be extremely cell and straightforward to deploy, ensures secure and speedy crossing for all automobiles, as much as the MLC90T/100W class. PFM doesn’t require any additional boats for deployment, due to the built-in onboard motors it presents good agility and efficiency on the water. Because the modules are 11 meters lengthy, PFM requires fewer pontoons, vehicles, and personnel than some other system of its type. Other than the tactical and technological benefits, this interprets into a big LCC optimization for the entire system. CNIM Systèmes Industriels additionally delivers correct coaching, to make it straightforward for the items utilizing the PFM system to quickly obtain readiness.

What automobile varieties will be dealt with by PFM?

The PFM pontoon bridge system has been designed to permit all forms of wheeled and tracked drivetrain automobiles to cross water obstacles. This pertains to all automobiles at the moment operated by the Polish Armed Forces, or automobiles deliberate to be launched, heavy tracked automobiles included:

a. All courses of fundamental battle tanks:

i. T-family: T72M1 (additionally the upgraded ones), PT91, overseas T-family MBT variants,

II. Leopard household: 2A4, 2A5, 2PL,

III. Abrams household: SEPv2, SEPv3, additionally with additional gear and armour,

IV. Ok Household: K2, K2PL

b. Heavy tracked help automobiles, such because the M88A2 ARV, future Kajman ARVs, armoured engineering automobiles, and assault bridges;

c. Another automobiles operated by all branches of the navy;

What’s the most demanding automobile that could possibly be accommodated by a pontoon water impediment crossing system?

Fundamental Battle Tanks are essentially the most demanding automobiles for pontoon bridges, as a result of their heavy weight, and density of that weight. Amongst these MBTs, the heavy M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 is essentially the most demanding automobile. With additional gear, the crews, and ammo, the M1A2 SEPv3 MBT could weigh greater than 73 tonnes. The principle battle tank in query can cross any water obstacles with none earlier preparation, utilizing the PFM pontoon bridge set.

To what extent is the PFM interoperational with different methods utilized by NATO? How interoperability as such could also be ensured?

It’s related for a newly procured bridge set to work with different parts of the floating bridges stock operated by the given Army, and in addition with floating bridges operated by the allies. The PFM tactical ramp is the implies that ensures this pure interoperability. It’s attainable to attach any PFM bridge with any floating bridge in a easy, operational method. This PFM’s interoperability has been confirmed throughout quite a few NATO workout routines.

Might you please listing the markets the place the PFM is getting used or supplied?

PFM is being marketed on all recognized markets the place procurement and improve necessity has been acknowledged for NATO member states pontoon bridge methods.

CNIM Systèmes Industriels has been lively within the defence area since greater than 150 years now. What’s the function that the corporate performs within the French business, additionally in relation to strategic deterrence?

CNIM Systèmes Industriels has been supporting Armed Forces world wide, the French Armed Forces particularly, since 1856. We provide stable, confirmed, state-of-the-art gear and options. Our merchandise make it attainable to render the land projection of energy, and to help troopers and convoys, thereby guaranteeing operational fluency.

We additionally supply high-class naval gear for submarines and floor combatants in France, and overseas, assembly the wants of our shoppers.

CNIM Systèmes Industriels has been the principle participant of the French deterrence programmes since 1961, performing as the only provider of missile launchers built-in on nuclear submarines.

And to conclude – a basic query – how do you view the demand for PFM and comparable methods, contemplating the present safety context in Europe? What function bridges as such might play?

Earlier than the battle in Ukraine the NATO member states have been expressing elevated demand for pontoon bridges, as many of the European pontoon bridges stock has procurement dates 2 or 3 many years in the past. They’re not able to accommodating the present, and future MBT designs. The battle in Ukraine and the re-emergence of danger that fights could escape in Europe contribute to the present demand for brand new pontoon bridge methods. Latest occasions have proven {that a} pontoon bridge set is a should to hold out manoeuvre warfare in Europe, the place water obstacles will be encountered each 30 kilometres.

A separate, but correlated matter pertains to the longer term help for restoring the Ukrainian important infrastructure. This contains the power to ascertain new bridges shortly in a rustic that misplaced a big share of its mounted bridge constructions.

Thanks for this dialog.