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Korea Selects GDELS and Hanwha M3K Bridge and Ferry

M3 amphibious bridge and ferry system [image via GDELS]

Republic of Korea selects the GDELS (General Dynamics European Land Systems) M3K amphibious bridge and ferry system.

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Press Release, Madrid and Kaiserslautern, 30 September 2021: General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) announced today that it and its partner, Hanwha Defense Corporation (HDC), have been selected by Republic of Korea’s Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) to jointly produce 110 amphibious bridging vehicles for the Republic of Korea Army.

Under the Korean Amphibious Bridging Vehicle (KABV) programme, the GDELS M3 Amphibious Bridge & Ferry System will be localised to meet specific Korean requirements and will be designated M3K. The M3K was chosen in a competitive selection process.

Library image of combined German and British M3 floating bridge in Lithuania [image via GDELS]

M3 is the world’s fastest and most capable amphibious bridge and ferry system based on load capacity, assembly time and manoeuvrability, both on water and land. The M3 is already operated by the militaries of Germany, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia. With more than 1.3 km of bridge length, the Republic of Korea will operate the largest M3 fleet.

“We are very delighted that the Republic of Korea is the fourth Asian customer to select our M3 as their future amphibious bridge and ferry system,” said Dr. Thomas Kauffmann, GDELS’s vice president of international business and services. “It reconfirms the unique bridging capabilities of the M3 and demonstrates the essential importance of tactical bridging for modern armies in terms of interoperability and military mobility.”

“From an industrial point of view, this project is a great success for our employees here in Kaiserslautern,” said Dr. Christian Kauth, vice president and managing director of GDELS-Bridge Systems. “We have established an excellent collaboration with our Korean partner Hanwha. The success is (further) proof of the general advantage of 4×4 solutions when it comes to amphibious bridging and demonstrates the leading role of GDELS in the military floating bridge market.”

British and German M3 Rigs exit a river during IRON WOLF 17 in Lithuania [© Bob Morrison]

About the M3: M3 offers high mobility, availability, and seamless land-to-water transition. Used as a bridge or as a multi-bay raft, the M3 can carry all known main battle tanks in service. With its unique coupling device, the M3 also offers interoperability with other bridging solutions such as the SRB (Standard Ribbon Bridge) / FSB (Floating Support Bridge) and IRB (Improved Ribbon Bridge).

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