M1074 Joint Assault Bridge

The M1074 Joint Assault Bridge System (JABS) is an armored military engineering vehicle based on the Abrams M1A1 main battle tank.[8]^:p.154 The M1074 was designed by Leonardo DRS Technologies to provide deployable bridge capability for units engaged in military operations.[1]

M1074 Joint Assault Bridge System
M1074 Joint Assault Bridge System
Type	Armored vehicle-launched bridge
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	2016–present
Used by	United States Army, United States Marine Corps
Production history
Designer	United States Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC)
Designed	2012
Manufacturer	Leonardo DRS Technologies West Plains, Missouri Anniston Army Depot (final assembly)[1]
Unit cost	$1.87 million with MCL95 bridge (2018)[2]
Produced	in production as of 2016
No. built	51 (as of 2018) Full rate production starts 2019[3]
Specifications
Mass	68.7 short tons (62.3 t)[4]
Length	32.25 ft (9.83 m) with bridge
length	MLC95 folding scissors bridge 11.7 meters. Bridge weight 15 short tons (14 t)[5]
Width	12 ft (3.66 m)
Height	Hull: 5.6 ft (1.71 m) with bridge: 10.1 ft (3.08 m)
Crew	2 enlisted
Armor	Burlington composite armor[6]
Main armament	None
Secondary armament	None
Engine	Honeywell AGT1500C multi-fuel turbine engine 1,500 shp (1,120 kW)
Power/weight	23.8 hp/t (17.74 kW/t)
Payload capacity	1× scissors-type folding bridge MLC95
Transmission	Allison DDA X-1100-3B (4 forward 2 reverse gears)
Suspension	High-hardness-steel torsion bars with rotary shock absorbers
Ground clearance	0.48 m (1 ft 7 in)
Fuel capacity	500 US gallons (1,900 l; 420 imp gal)
Operational range	260 miles
Maximum speed	Road 45 mph (72 km/h) (governed); Off-road: 30 mph (48 km/h)[7]

The bridge is an Armored vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) Military Load Class 95 Scissor Bridge (MLC95). After the M1074 has deployed the bridge, assault force vehicles can cross over the bridge. The M1074 can cross over, pick up the bridge on the far bank and continue along in support of assault forces.

Development

The JABS was conceived as a compromise between the M104 Wolverine that was deemed too expensive to operate and the aging M60 AVLB which could not adequately support the Abrams and Bradley vehicles. The vehicle provides the Army Mobility Augmentation Companies supporting Armored Brigade Combat Teams with a survivable, deployable and sustainable heavy-assault-bridging capability. Prototype development began in May 2012 when the U.S. Army Contracting Command awarded General Dynamics Land Systems and Leonardo DRS a $26 million contract to build two Joint Assault Bridge System (JABS) prototypes.[9] The contract supported the engineering and manufacturing development phase, with the GDLS prototype being built in Sterling Heights, Michigan and the Leonardo prototype built in West Plains, Missouri.

The Army wanted the winner of the contract to include Anniston Army Depot's organic industrial base experience in the JAB's production. The XM1074 JABS prototypes were ready in 2014.[10] They were delivered to Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) where they underwent testing and evaluation through 2016 with the Leonardo prototype being accepted as the M1074 in August.[11] Leonardo DRS has a public-private partnership with Anniston Army Depot in Alabama to manage the M1 chassis assembly[12] and worked with Israeli Military Industries (IMI) on the design and engineering of the bridge system, according to a DRS statement. On August 23, 2016, DRS Technologies, Inc., announced that the U.S. Army had awarded it an indefinite quantity contract worth up to $400 million to build the new Joint Assault Bridge System (JABS).[13] The Army has placed an initial order for 168 vehicles and the Marines for 29.[3]

The JABS completed its low-rate production phase from 2016 to 2018 with a total of 51 vehicles. ANAD produced 10 in fiscal year 2016, 14 in 2017 and an additional 27 in 2018. These first JABSs underwent exploitation and fire survivability testing at the Aberdeen Test Center. These tests finalized the current configuration for full-rate production and evaluated some configuration changes in the design for crew protection. United States Army Operational Test Command, Fort Hood began conducting operational testing in April 2019, with the 40th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat team, 1st Armored Division.[14][15] Full-rate production is scheduled to start in 2019 and expected to be completed by May 2024.[9] The M1074 JABS will replace the M60 AVLB and M104 Wolverine on a one-for-one basis in the US Army, Army National Guard and the US Marines Corps.

Description

The M1074 Joint Assault Bridge System (JABS) is based on the hull of the M1A1 version of the M1 Abrams main battle tank using the suspension system from the M1A2 and upgraded with the Total InteGrated Engine Revitalization (TIGER). This is projected to lower maintenance costs as well as increased availability and unit readiness with commonality of parts with the Abrams chassis. The unit has a new hydraulic bridge launcher system as well as Embedded Diagnostics (ED).[16] Survivability is enhanced with components of the Tank Urban Survivability Kit (TUSK) including Abrams Reactive Armor Tile (ARAT1), Rear Viewer Sensor System (RVSS) and Tank-Infantry Phone (TIP). Additionally it can employ the AUTOFLUG Driver's Seat and Abrams Lightweight Underbody Kit for situational use.[17] The vehicle itself is unarmed; however, the crewmembers are typically armed with assault rifles (M16 or M4), pistols, flares, and/or colored smoke grenades.

The Bridge Launcher Mechanism (BLM) was designed by Israeli Military Industries in conjunction with Leonardo DRS. The bridging controls are a basic push-button system, similar to the M104 Wolverine, while the computer assembles the bridge and deploys it. The bridge extends its span vertically instead of horizontally as the M104 Wolverine. It can deploy an MLC95 bridge with a gap crossing of 11 meters in approximately 3 minutes.

See also

• M104 Wolverine
• M60 AVLB

References

1. "Army looks to DRS for Joint Assault Bridge armored bridging units". UPI.
2. "M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank". Federation of American Scientists.
3. "ANAD assists with JAB". DVIDS. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
4. "XM104 Wolverine Heavy Assault Bridge System H82510". Federation of American Scientists.
5. Affairs, This story was written by Darrell E. Waller, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Public. "Navy Engineers Develop New Composite Joint Assault Bridge". Navy.mil.
6. Zaloga & Sarson 1993, p. 6
7. Pike, John E. "M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 25 October 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
8. ASA(ALT) Weapon Systems Handbook 2018 Page 32 lists how this handbook is organized. 440 pages.
   • By Modernization priority
   • By Acquisition or Business System category (ACAT or BSC). The Weapon systems in each ACAT are sorted alphabetically by Weapon system name. Each weapon system might also be in several variants (Lettered); a weapon system's variants might be severally and simultaneously in the following phases of its Life Cycle, namely — °Materiel Solution Analysis; °Technology Maturation & Risk Reduction; °Engineering & Manufacturing Development; °Production & Deployment; °Operations & Support
   • ACAT I, II, III, IV are defined on page 404
9. Judson, Jen (8 August 2017). "Army, DRS Set To Integrate New Bridging System on Tanks". Defense News.
10. "General Dynamics Awarded $26 Million to Develop Joint Assault Bridge Prototypes". 9 May 2012.
11. https://www.leonardodrs.com/news-and-events/press-releases/drs-technologies-awarded-up-to-400-million-us-army-contract-to-build-new-joint-assault-bridge-system/
12. Mrs. Jennifer Bacchus (AMC) (April 4, 2019) Spanning the gap for our troops
13. DRS Technologies Awarded Up To $400 Million U.S. Army Contract To Build New Joint Assault Bridge System - August 23, 2016
14. Lt. Col. Jeron Washington, U.S. Army Operational Test Command (17 April 2019) Rams ready to JAB: FORSCOM selects 40th BEB to train on Joint Assault Bridge ahead of operational test
15. Lt. Col. Jeron Washington, U.S. Army OTC (24 April 2019) 40th BEB Soldiers continue to test JAB
16. https://www.leonardodrs.com/.../joint-assault-bridge-jab
17. "Joint Assault Bridge (JAB)" (PDF). armyengineer.com.

Sources

• Zaloga, Steve; Sarson, Peter (1993). M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank 1982–1992. New Vanguard (Book 2). Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-283-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)