German and UK procurement agencies have signed a contract with OCCAR to procure new generation M3 amphibious bridging rigs from GDELS.
~
Press Release, Kaiserslautern, 30 October 2025: The German and British procurement agencies have signed a contract, valued over €450M, with the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) through which they jointly acquire the newest generation of M3 amphibious bridging and ferry capabilities from General Dynamics European Land Systems–Bridge Systems (GDELS) in Kaiserslautern. The binational ‘Wide Wet Gap Crossing Program’ (WWGC) invigorates the long-standing collaboration between the two largest European NATO contributors, who received their last M3 vehicles after the end of the Cold War in 1999.
The WWGC will ensure a performance enhancement including additional flexibility, enabling rapid deployment and flexible manoeuvrability across challenging terrain in both combat and disaster control scenarios. Foundation of the WWGC is the most modern and advanced version of the M3 (M3S – Sweden M3), which will include new features and functionalities, improved human-machine interface, enhanced reliability and system safety, as well as optimised through-live support costs. Furthermore, the new M3 fleets of Germany and the UK will not only be fully interoperable with other users’ M3 systems and with the SRB/FSB/IRB pontoon bridge family, but will be interchangeable, thus signifying a quantum leap in military mobility.
The amphibious bridge and ferry system M3 is the fastest available means for wet gap crossing within NATO. It can be used as a floating bridge or ferry to carry even the heaviest main battle tanks to negotiate wide wet gaps. The all-terrain M3 is ready for use within minutes – a vital factor on today’s transparent battlefield. The system has proven itself in use under a wide range of climatic and topographical conditions, from tropics to arctic.
“The new M3 will provide Germany and the UK with much anticipated, state-of-the-art floating bridge capabilities enabling unhindered manoeuvrability for all NATO vehicles. More than 90% of all NATO amphibious bridging capabilities are supplied by GDELS,” stated Dr. Thomas Kauffmann, Vice President and Chief Sales Officer of GDELS.
“We are proud to continuously deliver the M3 out of our Kaiserslautern sites, where we currently are substantially investing into additional production capabilities in line with GDELS’ German growth strategy 24/500,” said Dr. Christian Kauth, Vice President and Managing Director of GDELS Bridge Systems.
“The acquisition confirms GDELS’ leading position as a powerhouse for land defence in Europe and underlines the unwavering commitment of GDELS towards its European customers,” concluded Antonio Bueno, President of GDELS.
~
