Australian Army procures bridge erection boats

Australian manufacturer Birdon is supplying three next-generation bridge erection boats to the Australian Army for wet-gap crossing operations. Built at the company’s dedicated facility, the vessels incorporate lessons from earlier military bridging programs and use twin waterjets for thrust and precise maneuvering. Their role is to position, connect and stabilize floating bridge bays while engineers assemble temporary crossings for vehicles and troops. The small order provides specialized enabling equipment rather than complete bridge systems, improving the Army’s ability to establish crossings rapidly under varied river and shoreline conditions.