CNIM Systèmes Industriels has been awarded a contract to equip the Polish Army with the latest generation of gap crossing capabilities. On Wednesday 15th June, the signing ceremony of the contract between the Polish Armament Agency and CNIM Systèmes Industriels was held in Warsaw for the supply of several hundred meters of Motorized Floating Bridge. The PFM will thus ensure the mobility of the Polish armed forces, including the safe crossing of the new main battle tanks. In April, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz B?aszczak signed a deal worth about $4.75 billion to buy 250 M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 main battle tanks from the United States.
The latest generation of PFM Motorized Floating Bridge meets the needs of today’s modern armed forces in both a continual floating bridge configuration and a ferry configuration supporting the latest heaviest vehicles. Winning this international tender reasserts CNIM Systèmes Industriels ‘s status as leader for the supplier of high-performance gap crossing equipment. The PFM has been operational for many years in the forces (more than 5500 meters of bridges in operation around the world). Highly mobile and quick to build, the PFM will offer its Polish users a safe and fast crossing capability.
The PFM modules, which in service since the mid-1980s with the French Army, needed a complete overhaul, so the French Army and CNIM decided to adapt them to the new requirements, derived from the lessons learned of the latest missions. The overhaul was also needed to extend the system operational life and to ensure maximum reliability in case of disaster relief operations on the national territory, such as in case of a major flood. The PFM F2 Tactical Floating Bridge is a solution dedicated to continuous or discontinuous crossing of wet gaps for MLC 70T/80W class vehicles (accotding to STANAG 2021 standarts).
Offering two possible configurations bridge mode and ferry mode, the PFM gives a clear tactical advantage: it can be deployed easily, quickly and with minimal manpower. Each PFM module was powered by two Yamaha 75 hp outboard motors; these are being replaced with more powerful 90 hp motors. To reduce manpower CNIM developed a wireless control system that allows a single operator to control both motors allowing to orient each of them and to trim the throttle independently. What is more, it does not require any auxiliary boats and is well-known for its reliability in the field. The PFM’s implementation performance remains unmatched.
