Poland Received New Batch of M1110 JAB Tank-Mounted Bridge-Laying Vehicles Based on Abrams

Another batch of American M1110 Joint Assault Bridge (JAB) tank bridge-layers has arrived in Poland.

This was reported by the Armaments Agency of the Polish Ministry of National Defence.

According to Defence24, the equipment will be received by the 18th Mechanized Division. The first batch arrived in the country in July.

The delivered units are designed to facilitate the crossing of heavy armored vehicles over various obstacles.

In particular, the assault bridges will operate in conjunction with units equipped with M1 Abrams main battle tanks.

Contract for the M1110 JAB

The procurement of this specialized equipment is being carried out as part of large-scale contracts with the United States for the supply of this armored equipment.

In total, Poland has ordered 25 M1110 JAB bridge-layers: 8 units under the agreement from January 2023 for 116 M1A1 FEP units and 17 under the contract from April 2022 for 250 M1A2 SEPv3 versions.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the M1110 JAB

The M1110 was developed by Leonardo DRS based on a modified M1A1 chassis with suspension components from the M1A2 variant.

This provides the engineering vehicle with a level of armor protection, cross-country capability, and speed comparable to that of tanks.

The vehicle is equipped with a hydraulic deployment system and a new release mechanism. It uses a standard 18.3-meter-long Heavy Assault Scissor Bridge (HASB).

The bridge-laying vehicle’s crew consists of two people—a driver-mechanic and a commander. The vehicle is capable of deploying a bridge across obstacles up to 11 meters wide in just 3–5 minutes.

The structure’s load-bearing capacity meets the MLC 115 class standard. This allows even the heaviest tracked platforms—including the M1A2 SEPv3, weighing over 65 metric tons, and the M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicles—to safely cross water and land obstacles.