Place of origin United States Used by See operators | In service 1967–present Wars Gulf War
Iraq War | |
 | ||
Type Armored vehicle-launched bridge Manufacturer 1967–1996: Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant, Chrysler Defence (now General Dynamics Land Systems)
1996 onwards: Anniston Army Depot | ||
The M60 AVLB is an armored vehicle based on the M60 Patton main battle tank chassis used for the launching and retrieval of a 60 feet (18 m) scissors-type bridge. The AVLB consists of three major sections: the launcher, the vehicle hull, and the bridge.
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Design
The M60 AVLB is based on a M60 Patton tank chassis, but instead of the tank's gun turret, it is equipped with a bridge launcher integrated into the chassis and mounted on top. When emplaced, the bridge is capable of supporting tracked and wheeled vehicles with a military load bearing capacity up to Class 70. The bridge can be retrieved from either end. The roadway width of the AVLB is 12 feet 6 inches (3.81 m). During deployments, bridge emplacement can be accomplished in 2 minutes, and retrieval can be accomplished in 10 minutes under armor protection.
Deployment
As of 1996, the U.S. Marines had an inventory of 55 bridges and 37 launchers.
Replacement
The U.S. Army and Marine Corps are planning to replace the AVLB with the DRS Technologies Joint Assault Bridge (JAB), which is an M1 Abrams tank chassis combined with an 18.3 metres (60 ft)-long scissor bridge. The M60-based AVLB was found to be slower and unable to keep pace with Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley armored vehicles, and its age was making it difficult to maintain and sustain with parts becoming obsolete. The JAB also has a faster deployment time, with a set-up of three minutes compared to AVLB’s six-minute set-up. First deliveries are planned in mid-2017, with low-rate initial production expected to be reached in 2019.