The Armoured Vehicle-Launched Bridge helps tanks rapidly deploy

A member of the US military demonstrates an amazing piece of equipment in this video, an Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge (AVLB), that provides our military with an immediate solution to the critical problem of overcoming obstacles such as craters, ditches, blown bridges, canals and rivers which tanks and other machinery may otherwise may be unable to conquer. Additionally, this alternative provides a safer solution since it can be deployed without exposing troops to enemy fire.
AVLBs were first deployed in the 1950s, using an M48 tank with the turret removed and fitted with a launching system for a scissor bridge that was attached to the top. The first AVLB was designed at the US Army Engineer Research & Development Lab at Ft. Belvoir, VA.
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The AVLB scissor bridge unfolds using hydraulic power provided by the vehicle from which it’s launched. Once the bridge has been deployed and tanks have safely crossed over, the launching vehicle can retrieve the bridge and move along quickly with troops to provide support where needed. When not being used as a bridge, the AVLB does double duty as a tank retriever.
There are two different bridge configurations that can be carried on the launching vehicle - the MLC 60 Bridge that can support the M48 and the M60 tank families, and the MLC 70, which supports the heavier M1 Abrams tanks, according to Olive Drab.
The Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge can handle up to 60 tons over a maximum gap of 60 feet, allowing vehicles to move across at up to 25 mph. The MCL 60 was replaced in 2009 by the M104 Wolverine, which deploys in the less than half the time of the MCL 60 (about 1 minute) and allows vehicles to move at 40 mph, has a lower profile, and slides horizontally rather than scissoring.
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See it in action in the video below. SHARE if you are a fan!