M104 Wolverine heavy assault bridge
While only a few were built due to budget cutbacks, the M104 Wolverine heavy assault bridge is a U.S. Army vehicle, built on a M1 Abrams tank chassis, for quick crossings of water and other obstacles. It can span a 24 meter gap with a bridge over which fully loaded tanks can cross, a bridge that can be deployed in 5 minutes and retrieved in 10.[1] 44 were built by General Dynamics Land Systems, the main contractor for the Abrams. The Army has the right to restart production.
Not a fast vehicle at 16 km/h, it still is a much speedier adjunct to armored operations than building a bridge on the spot. It can be carried on roads, at higher speeds, by the Heavy Equipment Transporter System. Wolverines are operated by combat engineers with specific training.
References
- ↑ "Engineer and countermine equipment", Army, October 2002