Biber Bridgelayer
Type: support_vehicle
Domain: land
Country of Origin: Germany
Manufacturer: Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KNDS)
First Deployed: 1973
Overview
Armoured vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) based on the Leopard 1 chassis, providing rapid gap-crossing capability for armoured formations. Carries and deploys a single 22-metre MLC 60 (Military Load Classification 60) class bridge capable of supporting vehicles up to 60 tonnes including Leopard 2 tanks. Bridge deployment time of approximately 3-5 minutes under armour protection. The bridge spans gaps up to 20 metres. Protected to the same standard as the Leopard 1A5 with NBC system. Crew of 2. Weight of approximately 45 tonnes with bridge. While aging, the Biber remains essential to Bundeswehr combat engineer capability pending delivery of next-generation bridging systems. Multiple units have been provided to Ukraine.
Technical Specifications
| weight | ~46 tonnes |
|---|---|
| based_on | Leopard 1 chassis |
| mlc_rating | MLC 60 |
| bridge_span | 22 m (MLC 60) |
| manufacturer | KMW |
| deployment_time | ~5 minutes |
Operators
- Germany
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