Hanwha Defense Effectively Secures 500 Billion KRW Order for Self-Propelled Bridging Equipment

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Hanwha Defense has virtually secured the first domestic self-propelled bridging equipment project worth 500 billion KRW. Self-propelled bridging equipment is used by mobile units as boats or bridges to cross rivers. It is an amphibious bridging equipment operated integrally on land and water, essential for assault crossings by mechanized army units and for the success of future ground operations.

According to the military on the 29th, Hanwha Defense and Hyundai Rotem submitted proposals for the self-propelled bridging equipment project to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). In the proposal evaluation, Hanwha Defense reportedly scored about 2 points higher than Hyundai Rotem. If there are no objections from competing companies, DAPA plans to select Hanwha Defense's M3 equipment as the preferred negotiation target. If the contract is finalized, Hanwha Defense plans to deliver a total of 55 sets (2 units per set) to the military by 2027.

The M3 equipment was developed by Germany's GDELS and acquired by the U.S. General Dynamics Group, then localized as the Korean version of self-propelled bridging equipment. The M3 has been deployed and its performance verified in five major countries including the UK, Germany, Taiwan, Singapore, and Indonesia. It was also used in the Iraq War, gaining real combat experience. Additionally, in 2016, during NATO's largest joint exercise (Anaconda), it set a world record by constructing a 350-meter pontoon bridge. Notably, the M3 weighs about 28 tons, lighter than the AAAB, and has a higher top speed on land. It has also been evaluated as having less resistance in water.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.