"100m Bridge Completed in 20 Minutes"... Hanwha Aero Delivers First Korean-Style Self-Propelled Bridging Equipment

Capable of Handling 60t Equipment
Targeting 90% Localization Rate

Hanwha Aerospace announced on the 12th that it has delivered the Korean-type self-propelled bridging equipment KM3, which it produced independently, to the Army for the first time.

Self-propelled bridging equipment is used to create temporary bridges in real-time, enabling the Army's main equipment such as tanks, self-propelled artillery, and armored vehicles to cross rivers and streams.

Two Korean-style self-propelled crossing equipment KM3 'Suryong' units are demonstrating tank crossing operations using the 'Mungyo' method, which transports equipment in a raft form.
[Photo by Hanwha Aerospace]

On the same day, the Korean military held the KM3 initial deployment ceremony at the Army's 7th Engineer Crossing Battalion in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, and demonstrated the operation of the Korean-type self-propelled bridging equipment KM3.

The demonstration was conducted in two ways: the "Mungyo" method, which connects two self-propelled bridging units to operate like a powered raft carrying tanks and self-propelled artillery, and the "Bugyo" method, which connects multiple self-propelled bridging units and ribbon bridges to form a single bridge for mobile units to cross.

When operated using the Mungyo method, the self-propelled bridging equipment can be connected within 10 minutes and carry equipment weighing about 60 tons. When used in the Bugyo method, eight units can be connected within 20 minutes to create a 100-meter-long bridge. Compared to existing ribbon bridges, installation time is reduced by 60-70%, and operating personnel are reduced by up to 80%.

Several Korean-style self-propelled crossing equipment KM3 units and an existing ribbon pontoon form a temporary bridge using the 'pontoon' method to demonstrate equipment crossing.
[Photo by Hanwha Aerospace]

Additionally, tailored to the characteristics of the Korean military, digital panels, heating and cooling systems, and front and rear cameras were installed, and features such as bulletproof glass and chemical, biological, and radiological protection were added to enhance crew survivability.

Hanwha Aerospace is the first to begin domestic production among countries that imported the German defense company's M3 self-propelled bridging equipment. For the first mass-produced product, overseas parts were assembled, but in the future, about 1,380 parts including hull structures will be manufactured domestically to increase the localization rate to 90%.

Kim Dong-hyun, head of Hanwha Aerospace's LS (Land System) division, said, "We will support not only the success of this long-awaited Army project, which has been in demand for about 18 years since the requirement was raised, but also continuously identify areas for performance improvement to make it a fully Korean-type self-propelled bridging equipment."

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