The Leguan bridge layer is a tracked / wheeled vehicle launched Assault Bridge designed and manufactured by the German Company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW). It has a load rating of class MLC 80 (military load classification). The fully automatic electronically controlled Leguan bridge layer can be laid and rolled back on most of the terrains in about five minutes. The Leguan system replaced the BIBER. The bridge layer was initially designed to lay one 26m length bridge, and was upgraded in 2009 to lay two 14m bridges. The low silhouette of the vehicle remains preserved during this procedure. The loading of the bridge takes 8 minutes with the 26 meter bridge and only 7 with the 14 meter bridge.
The operation of the system by one soldier alone, even with the hatch closed, is ensured by clearly laid out operating elements and a graphical user interface. An integrated program for a self-test guarantees the high reliability. In addition, the Leguan comes equipped with an emergency system for the laying and loading of the bridges. Apart from the mission-specific armor, the system therefore also has a cooling system and an appliance for the loading of a modern BMS-system. Central covering panels, railings and a device to measure the load are also available as retrofit-kits, extending the capability profile of the bridges so that they can be used for the reestablishment of supply routes or for use by civilian vehicles.
The German Company KMW created the Leguan tank-launched assault bridge system for the Norwegian, Greek, Belgian, Chilean and Turkish armed forces on the basis of the Leopard 1. The Leguan system can however also be adapted onto other new or used tank chassis frames as M60/M47 in the Spanish army, Polish PT91 for the Malaysian Army and the M1 Abrams called Wolverine Heavy Assault Bridge in the U.S. Army. The Leguan laying system can also be carried by wheeled vehicles, such as the 8×8 vehicle by MAN or the 10×10 vehicle by the Finnish company SISU. In total, armies from 19 different countries deploy the Leguan bridge laying system on the most diverse mobility platforms.
The Leguan Leopard 2 offers the mobility of the LEOPARD 2 main battle tank and a maximum of identical logistics. The Leguan on Leopard 2 chassis has nine users. The Leguan Leopard 2 uses the same powerpack and suspension as the Leopard 2 MBT. It is motorized with MTU MB 873 Ka-501 4-stroke, 12-cylinder diesel, exhaust turbocharged, liquid-cooled developing 1,496 hp at 2,600 rpm coupled to a transmission Renk HSWL 354 hydrokinetic planetary gear shift, 4 forward and 2 reverse gears. For its self-protection, the Leguan Leopard 2 is armed with a 7.62mm machine gun. The Leguan on Leopard 2 chassis has nine users.
