FNSS of Turkey and Hyundai-Rotem of South Korea team up to offer the OTTER Armoured Amphibious Assault Bridge (AAAB) vehicles to meet the Republic of Korea (RoK) Army’s wet gap crossing system requirement. The proposed collaboration will see Hyundai Rotem as prime contractor and FNSS acting as technology partner. Complete production of the AAAB will be performed in RoK, with the aim of maximising indigenous production by including a range of local companies in the supply chain, to include local subsystems production.
Complete production of the Armoured Amphibious Assault Bridge (AAAB) will be performed in RoK with the aim of maximized localization by including various local companies into the supply chain and production of the sub-systems. Being the wheeled armored vehicle supplier of the Korean Army, Hyundai Rotem’s deep experience and large production capabilities are great assets for performing such a significant program. On the other hand, both company expertise in the production of engineering vehicles are considered as their favorable attributes and make it an ideal match for partnership.
The AAAB is a bridge and ferry system designed for fast and safe transport across wet gaps in the battlefield. The vehicle is based on an all-wheel 8×8 drive with central tyre inflation system and adjustable ride height control that provides advanced off-road driving performance, especially on loose and muddy terrain. The vehicle can climb a 60% gradient and 30% side slope. The AAAB is a NATO-certified vehicle and supports all current NATO requirements, such as river state, deployment and transportation. Rapid assault wet gap crossing at the lowest logistics burden and saltwater operational capabilities are other significant advantages of the system.
For the ferry role, a single AAAB system can transport MLC 21 tracked vehicles. Two AAAB systems can be coupled together from pontoon to pontoon and can transport an MLC 85 vehicle. By coupling three systems from ramp to ramp, MLC 120 vehicles can be transported over a wet gap. Twelve AAAB systems can combine together from ramp to ramp to construct a 150m-long bridge that is capable of carrying MLC 85 T and MLC120 W vehicles. The AAAB can carry four ramps on a single system in addition to a self-recovery winch, which recovers the vehicle or any other system especially in soft terrain such as riverbanks.
