General Dynamics Land Systems UK (GDLS-UK) presented a tactical assault bridging variant of the Ares armoured personnel carrier (APC) at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2019 exhibition in London, held on 10–13 September.
“Some sort of bridging capability might be required for Strike; the goal of the bridging variant is to provide a form of intimate bridging support for the UK’s Strike Brigades,” GDLS-UK vice-president Carew Wilks told Jane’s .
The bridging equipment has been provided by General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) and is a collaboration with the United Kingdom’s Pearson Engineering. The bridging system was displayed on a GDELS ASCOD 2 platform during the May 2019 International Trade Fair of Defence and Security Technologies (IDET) exhibition in the Czech Republic.
The bridging variant of the Ares APC at DSEI 2019. GDLS-UK has suggested that there might be a need for an organic bridging capability within the UK’s Strike Brigades. (IHS Markit/Patrick Allen)
The Ares platform is a variant of the UK’s Ajax AFV family. The example at DSEI was fitted with the Bridge Launch Mechanism (BLM) from Pearson Engineering, which enables the vehicle to launch a single-piece hinged bridge over the front of the vehicle’s hull. The BLM is fitted to the front of the bridge-launching variant, allowing it to launch or recover an assault bridge in under two minutes without permanently altering the role of the vehicle. The bridge itself is an MLC 50-class bridge, capable of supporting vehicles up to a maximum weight of 50 tonnes.
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