DSEI 2017: Showcasing the CNIM Motorized Floating Bridge new capabilities - September 12-15 - London (UK)

The DSEI 2017 exhibition, to be held on 12-15 Sept in London, will see the CNIM Group (stand N7-450) present the new capabilities of its Motorized Floating Bridge (PFM). It features significant performance improvements to a product which has already been tested in various fields of operation around the world.

A better answer to meet the operational needs of Armed Forces

The CNIM Group’s Motorized Floating Bridge is a bespoke solution for crossing wet gaps. With two available configurations – fixed bridge and ferry – the PFM offers a certain tactical advantage, in that it can be easily and quickly deployed with minimal manpower; it does not need auxiliary boats and enjoys acknowledged reliability in the field.

The PFM displayed at DSEI has improved performances, developed from operational experience and feedback from customers:

• A heavier load capacity: the PFM now allows the transport of MLC 80 class vehicles
• More powerful engines: 90 hp, compared to 75 hp previously
• Increased maneuverability on water, reducing assembly time
• Less manpower needed to deploy it: 2 people per module, instead of 3
• Customer choice of module carrier vehicle

Great versatility, thanks to dual capabilities unequaled on the market

The PFM can be configured as a fixed bridge but also as a ferry for discontinuous crossing of wet gaps. The modularity of the Motorized Floating Bridge allows the number of modules forming the ferry to be optimized according to the class and number of vehicles to be transported. In this configuration, the use of the PFM not only reduces the number of modules used, but also optimizes the number of operators and accelerates the crossing of the gap.

With 360° maneuverability, the bridge modules are motorized and autonomous, and can be assembled easily and quickly. The PFM also has very good mobility on land: the vehicles transporting the bridge modules are suited to difficult terrain (sand, mud). The PFM is deployable on all means of transport (roads, railways, by sea or by air), ensuring rapid intervention in the event of a crisis.

The Motorized Floating Bridge can be deployed on water with no special reconfiguration, from banks of up to 1.80 meters in height. The end ramps are equipped with a stand-alone hydraulic device for rapid adaptation to banks up to 3m high.

CNIM has been bringing to bear its crossing systems experience for more than 30 years now, says Philippe Demigné, member of CNIM’s Management Board. With this new version of our PFM, we now have the best product on the market: the best capabilities, at an affordable cost.

The PFM by CNIM is currently in service in several armed forces, including France, Italy, Switzerland and Malaysia. In addition to its military use, its great versatility also means that it can be tasked for civilian use, for example during natural disasters. In particular, it can be used as a ferry or temporary bridge to replace a fixed bridge destroyed by an extensive flood.