Poland unveils new indigenous bridge for heavy military equipment
In the presence of Deputy Minister of National Defence of Poland Cezary Tomczyk, an executive agreement was signed on the construction of the first prototype of the MSC 23-150 “Cis” heavy-load folding road bridge.
The ceremony took place in Warsaw and was attended by Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence Cezary Tomczyk, Rector-Commandant of the Military University of Technology Brigadier General Prof. Przemysław Wachulak, representatives of Polimex Mostostal S.A., as well as the scientists and engineers involved in the project, CE Report informs via the Ministry of National Defence of Poland's official website.
“Bridges of this type are also the foundation of the mobility component of the Eastern Shield. Special warehouses will also be built in eastern and northern Poland, where these bridges will be stored so that, in the event of a threat or a defensive operation — particularly when preparing Poland to receive allied troops, both for exercises and in a crisis situation — such bridges can become the backbone of operations. For years, the Polish Army has relied on DMS 65 bridges to address this issue. And it is no coincidence that I mention this particular bridge, because DMS 65 means that 65 is the year in which this structure was developed. That is why this moment is so groundbreaking: we are talking about a 100% Polish design, developed and co-produced by the Military University of Technology and Polimex Mostostal, based entirely on Polish technology and technology that depends solely on us,” Tomczyk said after the agreement was signed.
“The bridge presented today will be manufactured within two or three months and will then undergo rigorous field testing at the Drawsko training ground. Certification will follow, but this is a bridge capable of carrying every tank currently in service on the modern battlefield. As I said, military mobility is crucial. CIS is a dual-use structure: it will provide the military with mobility and enable the passage of heavy equipment, while in a crisis it can also replace a bridge that, for example, has been destroyed by flooding. (...) This is a project that had been sitting on the shelf for many years and was not ready, but it was enough to put in a great deal of work, complete the design and find an industrial partner capable of taking the project forward and bringing it to completion. I am convinced that equipment such as these military transport bridges could become a Polish export product in the future. I have no doubt about that,” the deputy minister added.
The innovative folding bridge, designed by a team of scientists from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geodesy at the Military University of Technology, is intended to address modern operational challenges on the battlefield. The MSC 23-150 “Cis” system is fully versatile, enabling two-way traffic and allowing columns of the heaviest tracked and wheeled military vehicles to safely cross terrain and water obstacles, including those requiring the highest military load classifications.
The folding bridge is designed to maintain road-network capacity. Such structures can be used in civil emergencies affecting transport infrastructure as well as during military operations, where they serve logistical purposes.
Photo Ministry of National Defence of Poland
