GDELS has selected Patria Latvia to provide maintenance and repair services for M3 amphibious pontoon bridge systems, to be carried out in Valmiera, Latvia. A delegation from Patria Latvia has already visited the GDELS facilities to review the assigned project, further reaffirming the effectiveness of the GDELS industrial cooperation model. The M3 amphibious system is designed to enable the transport of armoured vehicles across water obstacles, either in ferry mode or as a mobile pontoon bridge. Each M3 unit is 12.8 meters long, nearly 4 meters high, and weighs 28 tonnes. With a payload capacity exceeding 120 tonnes, the vehicle is operated by a two or three-person crew. These systems are versatile and suitable for both military operations and civil defence applications. The National Armed Forces of Latvia currently operate four M3 systems, acquired with full funding provided by the U.S. Government under its grant program.
“This cooperation in the field of M3 amphibious pontoon bridge system servicing and maintenance marks the next step in strengthening our partnership with GDELS and the National Armed Forces, complementing our existing collaboration related to assembly and lifecycle support for ASCOD infantry fighting vehicles. This also demonstrates our company’s capabilities and technological expertise in ensuring the rapid and reliable operation of complex military equipment,” said Uģis Romanovs, Chairman of the Board at Patria Latvia and Defence Partnership Latvia.
“The M3 system is another example of the high-quality military solutions produced by GDELS. We are pleased to extend our cooperation with Patria Group’s Latvian unit in Valmiera, which has been initiated in the course of the award of ASCOD tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicles – the ‘Baltic hashtag#HUNTER’ – by the Latvian Government. The M3 systems will complement the existing cooperation on the assembly and servicing of ASCOD vehicles, contribute to the security of supply chain that GDELS is developing in the country, and become a strong component of Latvia’s defense industry,” stated Alejandro Page, Vice President of GDELS Santa Bárbara Sistemas.
The M3 Amphibious Rig is a self-propelled, amphibious bridging vehicle and ferrying vehicle that is used for the transportation of tanks and other vehicles across water obstacles. The M3 is self-deployable by road, operating as a 4×4 wheeled vehicle with a maximum road speed of 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph). For amphibious operation, two large aluminium pontoons are deployed, unfolding them along the length of its hull. The crew exits the vehicle cab to maneuver the pontoon using controls located on top of the hull. In water, the M3 is propelled at speeds of up to 14 km/h (8.7 mph) by two pump jets that can be steered in 360-degrees. Multiple rigs can be joined together using long ramps, three of which are carried on each vehicle, to form a bridge or a ferry that can be used to cross a water obstacle. Eight M3 Rigs can be used to create a 100-metre-long (330 ft) bridge which can be traversed by vehicles up to and including the heaviest 60-tonne (130,000 lb) main battle tank like the Leopard 2A6 and Challenger 2. Alternatively, just two M3 Rigs may be joined to create a ferry capable of carrying a similar load across much wider water gaps.
